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THREE GRACES 




“Then I am ZH's-Grace.” 


(See page 48.) 




THREE GRACES 


BY 

GABRIELLE E. JACKSON 

AUTHOR OF DENISE AND NED TOODLES 
PRETTY POLLY PERKINS, ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED BY 

C. M. RELYEA 



NEW YORK 

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 

1903 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS. 

Two Copie* Received 

SEP 16 1903 

/ Copyright Entry 

//» /?*5 

CLASS 4- XXc. No 

<££/•?/ 

COPY B. 


Copyright, 1903 

By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 


Published ffe&tenrbe//' 49 fa 


TO MY IDEAL GIRL, 

ADA. 


“Thy actions to thy words accord ; thy words 
To thy large heart give utterance due ; thy heart 
Contains of good, wise, just, the perfect shape.” 




CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 


I. — A peep into Beulah Land 






1 

II. — New experiences 






13 

III. — Daniel Morford 






26 

IV. — The Three Graces . 






38 

V. — Hallowe’en plans . 






51 

VI. — Hallowe’en fun 






64 

VII. — “ A Daniel come to judgment ” 





77 

VIII. — Miss Poindexter collapses 






89 

IX. — Little Mother Sinclair 






102 

X. — A compact 






114 

XI. — Confidences 






127 

XII. — Pies and perplexities . 






139 

XIII. — Thanksgiving . 






151 

XIV. — Coming events cast their shadows 

BEFORE 



164 

XV. — Chemical problems — and others 





174 

XVI. — Boots versus business . 

• 





188 

XVII. — A FALSE MOVE . 

• 





199 

XVIII. — In the shadow . 

• 





212 

XIX. — Hush l ... . 






225 

XX. — Uncle Sam scatters blessings 





239 


Vll 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 

PAGE 

“Then / am ZH's-Grace” .... Frontispiece 
Three of the girls fled, hut the Graces stood their ground . 74 

“Miss Houghton, be good enough to go to your room” . 125 

‘ ‘ I’ll remember this, Mrs. Percy — remember it as long 




as I live” 


194 


s 


THREE GRACES 


CHAPTER I 

A PEEP INTO BEULAH LAND 

“Oh, Mamma, Daddykins, Grace, Isabel, all 
of you, I’ve done it, I really, really have! Just 
listen, and don’t speak a single word until I get 
to tbe very end, for it all seems too good to be 
true. But it is, it is; Grace is truly to go 
back with me ! ” cried Adalaide Percy, as she 
came flying into the cozy apartment where her 
father, mother, and two younger sisters sat to 
scatter a perfect volley of words broadcast, drop 
suit-case, umbrella, and jacket in the middle of 
the floor, fling her arms about the younger of 
the two girls, who had sprung to their feet upon 
her whirlwind entrance, spin her about the 
room in a wild fandango sort of dance, and land 
with her in a heap upon the cushion-filled divan. 

“ 0 Adalaide, really, truly, am I to go 1 ” 
gasped Grace between whiles, and tall, dignified 
1 


Three Graces 

Isabel’s eyes glowed with expectancy, and Mr. 
and Mrs. Percy waited for a chance to make 
themselves heard. 

Mrs. Percy, a sweet, dignified woman of 
forty-five or more, whose face still gave evidence 
of a beautiful girlhood, although lines of care 
were now penciled upon it, leaned toward her 
husband, who sat beside her in a low lounging- 
chair, the soft rug thrown over his knees, and 
cushions upon which the handsome silver-haired 
head rested testifying to his semiinvalid condi- 
tion. She laid her hand upon her husband’s 
arm. It was an unconscious act, yet so charac- 
teristic of the woman. In that home this father 
was, indeed, the head, and, although misfor- 
tune had robbed him of wealth and health, it had 
spared him happiness, for this good wife and 
mother had been his true helpmeet, aiding wher- 
ever frugality, exceptional resource, dignity 
under trials, patience under hardships almost 
intolerable, and boundless love for husband and 
children could sustain. 

When her husband could no longer go out into 
2 


A Peep into Beulah Land 

the world to do battle for them he was enshrined 
in one corner of their home, and little short of 
worshiped there ; for all questions bearing upon 
the family weal were brought to this corner to be 
discussed and talked over. All, with the excep- 
tion of the most difficult ones ; these Mrs. Percy 
locked within her own heart, or if she felt the im- 
perative need of it, discussed them with Ada- 
laide, her pillar of strength. The happier side of 
life was brought to “father’s” or, as he was lov- 
ingly called by his girls, “Daddy kins’s ” chair. 

“Keally, Adalaide! It seems almost incred- 
ible. How could you compass it, dear! ” asked 
Mrs. Percy. 

“Is she truly to enter the Laurel Hill School, 
Adalaide! Enter for the preparatory college 
work just like any other girl! I can hardly be- 
lieve it,” cried Isabel, as she leaned over to re- 
move Adalaide’s hat and place it carefully upon 
the table. 

“Enter when the term begins in September, 
daughter! You amaze me! It is very expen- 
sive,” added Mr. Percy. 

3 


Three Graces 


“I know it, ok, I know it, dearest people! 
Nobody knows it one bit better than I do, bnt it’s 
true ; it really, really is, and I’ve done it ! And 
I’m so bappy that I want to bug every single one 
of you all at once, but since I can’t I’ll take you 
singly,” and with a final squeeze for Grace, Ada- 
laide bounded to her feet, and, half laughing, 
half in tears, ran from one to the other, landing 
finally upon her knees beside her father’s chair 
with her arms about bis neck. 

“Now listen, and I’ll be sensible and tell you 
all about it and bow it happened. To begin 
with, you know Miss Emerson has been just as 
lovely to me from the very start as she could pos- 
sibly be to anybody. Well, all this year she has 
sort of questioned me about the girls — what they 
were doing, or what they hoped to do. Not 
curious, impertinent questions, but just lovely, 
kind ones, and I told her lots about them. More 
than I have any idea, I dare say. This last 
term she has watched my work, oh, ever so 
closely, and if I bad not known her so well it 
might have made me fidgety. But it didn’t, for 
4 


A Peep into Beulah Land 

I know just what a dear she is, and I felt sure 
that if she watched me it was because she wanted 
to help rather than criticize. And I was right, 
too, for, oh, precious old Daddykins, what do 
you think happened only last week? ” and Ada- 
laide rested her soft, golden-brown hair against 
the silvery head upon the pillows. 

“Tell me, my sweetheart,” said Mr. Percy, 
laying his hand upon hers, and a very tender 
light filling his eyes for this daughter who was 
doing so much for those .she loved. 

“I had just finished the last lesson for that 
day, and it had gone off beautifully , for I cer- 
tainly have worked with that girl, and she did 
me credit. I was gathering up the music to put 
it away, humming the while to myself like a 
great bumble bee, when the curtains at the other 
end of the room were drawn aside, and there sat 
Miss Emerson. She had been there all that hour, 
and neither Gertrude Colgate nor I had ever 
suspected it. Miss Emerson began to laugh, and 
so did I ; it was so perfectly funny. ‘ Come here 
a moment, Miss Percy, and let us have a little 
5 


Three Graces 

private talk in this window, with no one to in- 
terrupt us,’ she said. I felt so sort of happy 
and light-hearted that I forgot all about being 
a dignified music-teacher, and just skipped 
across that big music-room, and then Miss Em- 
erson laughed more than ever as she drew me 
down upon the window-seat beside her, and con- 
tinued: ‘ You are just nothing but a girl your- 
self trying to play at being a dignified woman, 
and here I am contemplating burdening you with 
even heavier responsibilities ; I’ve a great mind 
not to do it/ and she pinched my cheek. Daddy- 
kins, I can’t begin to tell you all the nice things 
she said, and I didn’t deserve one-half of them 
anyway, but the upshot of it all is this : She is 
immensely pleased with my methods and the 
work I’ve done; she also thinks I deserve to 
have my salary materially increased next year, 
because the work will be even heavier than it 
has been during this one just closing, and has 
given me my choice of an increase in solid, cold 
dollars and cents, or entering Grace as a boarding 
pupil to prepare for college next year y and Tm just 
6 


A Peep into Beulah Land 

more or less wild and crazy! ” As Adalaide drew 
nearer and nearer to tlie climax of her story she 
spoke more and more rapidly, her beautiful face 
mirroring her love, delight, and triumph in rapid 
succession as the words poured from her lips. 
Her audience listened intently as she talked, each 
face reflecting the various emotions which filled 
her hearers’ hearts. 

It was no trifling event in this family — the 
triumph of energy and perseverance of this eld- 
est daughter, and the first step to be taken 
into the outer world by the youngest. During 
their childhood the girls had lived in a beautiful 
home many miles from New York, but when ad- 
versity overtook their father the home had to be 
given up, and the family came to town, where 

living was less expensive. In B the girls 

had been pupils in the excellent private school 
of that place, but had never attended school after 
coming to the city, studying instead with their 
father, who was well qualified to conduct their 
studies. At a very early age Adalaide had 
given promise of marked musical talent, and 
2 7 


Three Graces 


every possible advantage bad been given her. 
Isabel, the home body, did not take very long 
to discover which niche she was to fill in this big 
world. She was fifteen years of age when the 
family removed to the city, and from a tiny child 
had been devoted to little children, exercising a 
wonderful control over them, and manifesting 
a keen understanding of their natures, which 
caused them to turn toward her as flowers turn 
toward the sun. 

This love had decided her, and she was now 
in the Horace Mann Training-School, soon to be 
a full-fledged kindergartner, and as happy in 
her work as possible. 

Grace, the youngest daughter and the baby, 
beloved by, and loving all, was still studying 
with her father. She was now sixteen, and oh, 
so anxious to go to college! But the prospect 
of her ever doing so had seemed vague, and until 
within the last year the outlook somewhat dis- 
couraging; for college meant at least one year 
in some good preparatory school, preparatory 
schools meant considerable outlay, and college 
8 


A Peep into Beulah Land 

life a great deal more. Still, one year at school 
would do it, for she had worked very faithfully 
with her father, and was by no means a dullard. 

Enough had been saved from the financial 
wreck to maintain the family in comfort, provi- 
ding former luxuries were given up, and by the 
strictest economy the girls were able to have 
some advantages. 

Recognizing Adalaide’s pronounced talent, 
every sacrifice had been made to cultivate it, 
and nobly had she repaid them. For the past 
two years she had held an excellent position as 
musical instructor in one of the finest prepara- 
tory schools in the country, and had worked as 
only a girl of her buoyant, loving, indomitable, 
self-sacrificing nature can work for those she 
loves. Every penny saved went into the com- 
mon purse, to give some comfort or some lux- 
ury to those so dear to her. 

And at last her reward had come, for the 
principal of the school in which she taught had 
offered to receive and fit Grace for college, giv- 
ing Adalaide her choice between the increase of 
9 


Three Graces 

salary and Grace’s education. That the latter 
was accepted with alacrity is already shown. 

“And what am I to do, Adalaide? Really 
and truly go back with you in September and 
take the course just as the other girls do, and 
live there, too ? ” cried Grace, her eyes shining 
and her whole body quivering with excitement. 

“Really and truly you are , my sweetheart. 
Right straight back with your old Adalaide, to 
have a dear, sunny little room right across the 
hall with your roommate, for Miss Emerson said 
that she would reserve that one for you — we 
talked it all over before I came away — and enter 
whatever classes your exams, fit you for. You 
will be in all the school fun and swim, and oh, 
have just no end of a good time! So let’s all 
shout three cheers and a tiger for Miss Emer- 
son, if we bring the janitor up-stairs to put us 
straight out into the street. Now — hip, hip, 
hoorah ! ! ! ” and three young voices rang out to 
carry consternation to the sedate old ladies who 
occupied the apartment overhead. 

Even Mr. Percy’s laugh was drowned, and 
10 


A Peep into Beulah Land 

Mrs. Percy’s deprecating hand caught and 
kissed before she could silence these girls who 
were so transcendently happy because one of 
them had planned to work about twice as hard 
as the average girl of her age ever works ; the 
second because the youngest sister was to have 
advantages for which she in her secret soul had 
always longed, and was now entirely forgetful 
of self in her joy at the thought that Grace was 
to have them ; and Grace herself was happy be- 
yond words because five years of hard work lay 
before her, if, happily, college became possible, 
although, truth to tell, the ways and means there- 
for were still to be evolved. 

" And now let me settle down and be serious,” 
said Adalaide, giving her head a shake, “for I 
am acting like time for a twenty-three-year-old 
sedate music-teacher, with nineteen pupils to 
think about. I’m entirely too frisky, and you 
may as well call me to order. You know, dear- 
est people, that this kettle has been simmering 
for some time, and I have been planning and 
hoping just as hard as ever my brains would 
11 


Three Graces 

let me. You all remember what I wrote home 
after I got back to my work in January? Even 
then things had begun to crystallize, yet I dared 
not even hint at more than the word possible , for 
probable was altogether too hazy.” 

“But I felt sure you meant something about 
my school course,” interrupted Grace, as she sat 
upon the couch, her hands clasped as she eagerly 
drank in every word. 

Adalaide did not pause, but giving a reassur- 
ing nod and smile, hurried on. 

“Even in my last letter I only dared say that 
Grace would do well to begin sewing on all her 
buttons and collecting any wits which might 
have become scattered, for I’d a strong idea of 
taking her back with me next fall. And here I 
am! School is ended for more than three solid 
months ; I am to be with you all that time ; I’ve 
settled all my plans for the coming year; when 
I go back Grace goes with me; and, oh, aren’t 
you all so glad that you just don’t know what 
to do? ” 


12 


CHAPTER II 


NEW EXPERIENCES 

“All a-b-o-a-r-d! Trenton first stop! All 
a-b-o-a-r-d ! ” cried the brakeman, as the long 
train began to quiver from the message sent 
along the air-brakes by the great engine up 
ahead, which was panting and purring like a 
monstrous living creature. Nine cars were at- 
tached to it, some parlor, some “everyday-folks 
cars,” as Grace said when she and Adalaide en- 
tered one of them, placed their belongings in 
the rack overhead, and seated themselves be- 
neath it. 

Grace sat next the window, with Adalaide 
next the aisle, lest Grace should stray off in a 
fit of absent-mindedness, for the girl was so 
elated that she was hardly accountable for any- 
thing she did. 

“Was there ever such a heavenly day to go 
13 


Three Graces 


anywhere! ” cried Grace, giving a little bounce 
of rapture, and bobbing around to take a look at 
her fellow-passengers, who were also settling 
themselves in their seats, for the car was about 
two-tliirds full, and at Trenton, the first stop to 
be made, many more passengers would no doubt 
enter it. 

“It was all made to order! Everything 
about it was made to order, I firmly believe,” 
answered Adalaide, for she was almost as ex- 
cited as Grace, and ready for anything. “It’s 
all too good to believe, anyway. Here I am 
actually going back to my duties and carrying 
you along, bag and baggage, to launch you out 
in real earnest. Wasn’t mamma just the hap- 
piest woman you ever saw! ” and Adalaide’s 
eyes beamed. 

“So happy that she didn’t know whether to 
laugh or cry. Dear people, how hard they all 
worked to get me ready! And here I am with 
everything fine as you please. And, Adalaide, 
do you suppose that any of the girls will ever 
guess how many times my silk waist was pieced! 

14 


New Experiences 


Eleven pieces, and every solitary one covered 
with a lace medallion cnt out of that old hat trim- 
ming. Why they look as though every one had 
been bought purposely for it, and I feel so sort 
of grand to have such a swell garment,” and 
Grace gave a little laugh as she patted Ada- 
laide’s hand, which lay upon the seat between 
them, and then glanced quickly about to see if 
her rapture had been noticed by any of the other 
passengers. Apparently it had not, for they 
were all too much occupied with their own con- 
cerns. Indeed, but one other could have seen 
it, and that was a lady who sat upon the opposite 
side of the aisle ; if she saw it she gave no sign. 

On rushed the train, gaining greater head- 
way every moment, and on wagged the girls’ 
tongues, keeping time with the clickety, click, 
of the rapidly revolving wheels. Before ninety 
minutes had been told off, the train rolled into 
the Trenton station, and, as Grace wrote home 
the following day, “We began to have experi- 
ences.” While the great engine puffed and 
panted like a living thing striving to recover its 
15 


Three Graces 


breath after a wild race, a baggage-laden man 
struggled in and deposited his belongings in the 
unoccupied seat in front of the girls. Down 
plumped a huge telescope-bag, a satchel, two 
monstrous books, evidently law books, and an 
umbrella; then removing his hat from his per- 
spiring brow, he drew a big blue-bordered hand- 
kerchief from his pocket, mopped his face and 
head as though he were giving a massage, smiled 
cheerfully upon the passengers nearest him, and 
remarked: “By gum, but it’s hot for the 
20th of September! Things are sort of gal- 
lawopposed, and turned hind side to! Had 
to run like all-possessed to catch this train. 
Lordy, near a-bout ran all the wind clean out of 
me,” and with a final mop he dropped into his 
seat. 

Grace and Adalaide exchanged glances. 

Presently their fellow-traveler began to be- 
stir himself, and to set about bestowing his prop- 
erties. The big telescope was laboriously hoisted 
into the rack above his head, and flanked by the 
satchel and the books. He tried to place the 
16 


New Experiences 


umbrella on top of it, but it positively refused to 
stay there, so he sat it in the corner next the 
window. Then the Alpine hat was removed 
from the curly shock of hair and placed on top 
of the other things. Meantime, the train had 
begun to roll out of the station, and was now 
moving rapidly. The man eyed the things in 
the rack rather doubtfully, as though he enter- 
tained some misgivings regarding their remain- 
ing where he had placed them, but they seemed 
pretty secure, so settling himself in his seat, he 
drew from his capacious pockets a number of 
papers and a memorandum-book, and was soon 
lost in perusing them. He was deeply absorbed 
when the train rounded a sharp curve, and down 
sailed the Alpine, to land fairly and squarely 
upon Grace’s head, and cover her own neat 
traveling hat like an extinguisher. Its owner 
caught sight of it as it took flight, and, springing 
to his feet as it came to roost upon Grace’s head, 
cried : 

“Gosh me! Now ain’t that a shame? Dura 
the thing, I say! Thought to be sure it’d stick 
17 


Three Graces 

up there all right enough. Just as sorry as 
can be that it squashed your furbelows, and 
wouldn’t a-had it happen for the world. That’s 
right, give me the blamed thing and I’ll bet I’ll 
stick it where it won’t get gay this time,” and 
without more ado he reached up and jammed 
it down between the big books and the side of 
the car. 

While talking he had partly knelt upon the 
seat and leaned toward them with one hand out- 
stretched for his errant headgear. He was a 
tall, raw-boned man of perhaps twenty-four or 
twenty-five, with a smooth, boyish face and 
gray-blue eyes that had a half-serious, half- 
humorous expression. He wore a ready-made 
“pepper-and-salt ” suit, a colored shirt of rather 
pronounced pattern, and a somewhat startling 
four-in-hand tie. His features were strongly 
marked, and his chin square and firm. The 
cheek-bones were high, and altogether the man 
would have been conspicuous from his personal 
appearance had he not succeeded in making 
himself decidedly so by his actions; for he 
18 


New Experiences 

obviously regarded the world at large as his 
friend. 

“It’s all right now,” he asseverated with a 
friendly nod as he dropped back into his seat, 
and again took up his papers. 

Excepting an involuntary exclamation from 
Grace when the hat alighted upon her head, not 
a word had been spoken by the girls; it had 
all happened so quickly. Moreover, Adalaide, 
conscious of her position as chaperon, was doing 
her best to keep a sober face and maintain the 
dignity of the party. But once the man’s back 
was toward them, quivering bodies testified to 
suppressed mirth. 

The car was now well filled, and the train 
whirling and swaying onward. Twenty minutes 
passed, and then up bobbed the hat’s owner to 
whirl about in his seat and demand without the 
least preliminary remark: 

“Have you got a lead-pencil? ” 

Grace jumped. 

“No — we, ah — we haven’t one,” answered 
Adalaide, never stopping to consider that a very 
19 


Three Graces 

excellent one was at that moment reposing in her 
satchel. 

“Oh ! Thought you might a-had one. Came 
off in such a rush I left mine Lord knows where,” 
and doubling up in some mysterious manner, he 
vanished behind the high hack of the car-seat. 

“My goodness, what will he do next? ” whis- 
pered Grace. 

“Make us both die of suppressed laughter if 
we ‘ don’t watch out,’ ” was the whispered reply. 

“Do you think — ” hut before she could say 
another word up bounced the man to rush across 
the car to a passenger who sat three or four 
seats ahead, and demand in the same precipitous 
manner : 

“Say, have you got a pencil? ” 

“No ! I ain’t,” was the explosive reply, which 
nearly took the overconfident young man off his 
feet, and sent him staggering back to his seat, 
muttering: “Might a-thought I’d a-asked him 
for a stick of dynamite ! ” And wagging his head 
dolefully, as though he had already encountered 
one of the rebuffs liable to be his lot if he con- 
20 


New Experiences 

tinued to go through the world as he had begun, 
he once more subsided within the sheltering 
arms of his own seat. 

Meantime nothing had been missed by the 
lady sitting opposite the girls. Familiar with life 
in many phases, it had not taken her long to 
grasp the situation, fill in the details needed, and 
draw her own deductions. Herself well equipped 
for taking notes and scribbling, she quietly drew 
from her satchel an extra pencil, arose from her 
seat, and, stepping across the aisle, said : 

“I think that I overheard you ask for a pen- 
cil? It is often so important to have one that 
I usually carry extra ones. You are welcome to 
one of them.” 

She was a woman between forty and forty- 
five, old enough, indeed, to be the mother of the 
man to whom she spoke ; otherwise the act would 
have been unwarranted. 

“Now say! That’s right kindly of you. I 
do want a pencil just worse than I want five 
cents, and I’m no end obliged to you ma’am,” 
cried the man, fairly glowing with gratitude. 

21 


Three Graces 

“Give it right back the very minute I’m done 
with it, honest ! ” 

“Oh, you need not ; I do not need it, for I have 
another. Very glad to help you out of your di- 
lemma,” and with a pleasant, friendly smile for 
this all too verdant youth, the lady went back to 
her seat. 

Out came papers, memorandum-books, and 
envelopes from the capacious pockets, and for a 
half-hour he was lost to all about him. Then 
“Richard was himself again,” so to speak, and 
the papers were restored to his pockets, and the 
joy of living taken up once more. Springing to 
his feet in the “Jack-in-the-box ” fashion to 
which the girls had now become accustomed, he 
hurled himself across the car to the seat occu- 
pied by his benefactor, thrust the pencil and a 
card into her hands with : 

“Wrote up all my notes, thanks to you, 
ma’am. Tremendously obliged to you. That’s 
my card — Daniel Morford, office manager for 
Smith & Brown, lawyers, back there in Tren- 
ton. Great office! Do rushin’ business. I’m 


New Experiences 

goin’ out to Lancaster to settle up something 
for them. First trip. Great chance. Mean to 
do it up in shape, I tell you. Goin’ far?” 

“You need not have returned the pencil. I 
have another. Glad you are so successful, and 
I wish you good luck, I’m sure. No, I am not 
going very far,” was the kindly answer. 

Back whirled the young man to his seat, to 
turn sharply around to the girls and cry : 

“Mighty nice to meet a woman like that. 
She’s got some sense, and knows how to take 
a fellow, don’t she now? Goin’ far? Where 
do you come from? I come from Trenton,” and 
he paused for their answer. Ordinarily, Ada- 
laide would have been equal to the emergency, 
but the spirit of mischief had entered her soul, 
and, knowing New York to be a pretty big place, 
she answered: 

“We came from New York, and we are going 
to Philadelphia.” 

“Now I want to know? Do tell! Well, I 
know lots of people over in New York. Say,” 
with a hitch about in his seat in order to bring 
3 23 


Three Graces 

his face more in line with theirs, “do yon know 
Mr. Robinson? Fine man! Done a heap for 
me.” 

“No, we do not know him,” answered Ada- 
laide, her eyes twinkling, although her lips did 
not betray her, while Grace occupied herself with 
the fastenings of her satchel. 

“Won’t that thing shut right? Plague on 
’em! they pester the life out of a body some- 
times, don’t they ? Here, give it to me, I’ll settle 
it,” and a long arm came over the back of the 
seat to whisk the inoffensive satchel into the air 
just as Grace, beaten at her own game, cried: 

“Oh, it is all right, I guess. Don’t trouble.” 

“Lor’ bless your little heart, ’tain’t a mite of 
trouble ! Just glad to do things for other folks,” 
and probably a greater truism was never uttered, 
for this man, barely out of his boyhood in years, 
and certainly not out of it in heart — still upon 
the borderland in feeling where “thought is 
speech, and speech is truth ” — was filled with 
kindly feelings for his fellow beings, and saw no 
reason for concealing the fact. It would take 
24 


New Experiences 


many a hard brush against the world’s conven- 
tionalities to open his eyes to them, and there 
was a strong possibility that no amount of brush- 
ing would be sufficient to wholly conventionalize 
him ; the kindly, guileless spirit, inherent and in- 
born, would not feel the brushes, but would find 
“sermons in stones and good in everything.” 


25 


CHAPTER III 


DANIEL MORFORD 

The bag was properly fastened, the little 
clasps adjusted, and handing it back with a 
friendly smile, he continued : 

“Yes, I know Mr. Robinson right well, I tell 
you. Know Mr. Stone? Everett L. Stone? 
Another hustler over there in New York. Got 
me in Smith & Brown’s. Suppose I’d a-been 
pungling along potato-rows yet if it hadn’t a- 
been for him. Lor’, that old daddy of mine, bless 
his heart, would never a-thought of turning me 
loose in a law office no more’n he would a-thought 
of putting a yearling colt to cartin’. But Mr. 
Stone, he says : ‘ Look a-here, Mr. Morford, you 
ain’t a-goin’ to keep that Danny of yours hoin’ 
potatoes all his life, are you? ’Tain’t right! 
He’s fit for something better.’ Lor’ ! don’t know 
how he guessed it; I never did, yet here I am. 

26 


Daniel Morford 


‘ Send him along to me,’ he says. So down 
I went to his place on the shore — he’s got 
a mighty fine one, I can tell you — and a great 
powwow we had, an’ no mistake, and the next 
thing I knew there I was a-studyin’ law in 
Smith & Brown’s office, and now here I am 
their manager! Get a snug little salary, too, 
to keep me right up slick, an’ just goin’ ahead 
for all I’m worth, and I ain’t twenty-four yet 
neither. Ain’t that great? I tell you I don’t 
mean to get left. Not much ! Are you hustlin’, 
too? ” 

The thought flashed through Adalaide’s 
brain, “What icould mamma think of this? And 
how about trusting her baby to the care of a 
giddy music-teacher who goes about exchanging 
confidences with strange young men whom she 
meets upon railway-trains ? ” Then she glanced 
across the aisle to where the lady sat to see upon 
her face a half-amused yet wholly encouraging 
expression, as though she instinctively divined 
the girl’s thoughts and wished to convey to her 
by that strange mental telepathy possible be- 
27 


Three Graces 

tween some natures : “ Trust him ; he is a rough 
diamond ; your instincts are true.” 

The man’s hack was toward the older woman, 
and he was unaware of this strange little flash of 
understanding passing between her and Ada- 
laide. 

“I am a music-teacher in a school near Phila- 
delphia,” was her quiet answer to his question. 

“Now I want to know ! You a teacher? Sing 
right out your mouth and make others do it too ? 
You don’t seem old enough.” 

“But I am,” replied Adalaide, smiling in spite 
of herself at the comical manner in which her 
statement had been received. “I do not teach 
vocal music; only instrumental.” 

“You, too? ” with a nod toward Grace, and a 
surprised raising of his eyebrows. 

“No, I am going back with Adalaide to enter 
the school as a pupil and prepare for college next 
year, and Pm so glad I don’t know what to do ! ” 
cried Grace, her joy at the prospect before her 
causing her to forget that her questioner was a 
total stranger. 


28 


Daniel Morford 


“Hum! Like the idea, do you! Girls in 
boardin’-schools have pretty jolly times, so the 
books say. Ain’t prepared to state myself. 
Haven’t got any sisters; wish I had. Kinder 
nice to have ’em round the house. They’re sort 
of cuddly, like kittens. We fellers are so thun- 
derin’ — beg your pardon — so big and clumsy 
sometimes. Sort o’ get all over the place. Got 
two brothers — little chaps now — twelve and 
fifteen. Goin’ to set ’em up later. Just nothin’ 
but colts now ; all legs and arms. Got no sisters. 
Near Philadelphia! Wonder if we’ll ever run 
up against each other again! Queer world, 
ain’t it ! Didn’t either one of us know the other 
was in it two hours ago, and here we are as 
chummy as you please, and I like you both first 
rate. Mebbe you can’t say as much for me ; can 
you now, honest! ” and a comical twinkle came 
into the gray eyes as he threw back his head to 
give voice to a frank, boyish laugh and display 
fine white teeth. 

“We have met those who have impressed us 
far less pleasantly, and, certainly, those who 
29 


Three Graces 

were far less truthful,” answered Adalaide seri- 
ously. 

“ That’s so,” coming suddenly back to his 
moralizing. “There’s an awful lot of liars in 
this world, and no mistake. Say,” with another 
volcanic bounce, “do you know I never guessed 
how many ’til I took the inside track of the law, 
and it just near about beat my time. If there’s 
one thing I haven’t any use for it’s a liar and a 
feller that ain’t square as a cube. Honesty and 
justice — that’s my motto. But here we are at the 
Park; next thing you know you’ll be in Broad 
Street Station. Would you girls mind telling 
me your names I I’d be awful glad to remember 
you by ’em, even if we never clap eyes on each 
other again. Here’s my card, and if I can ever 
do anything for you, you just bank on me every 
time, for you’ve been awful kind and friendly to 
me. I have got snubs from girls before now.” 

“Our names are Adalaide and Grace Percy, 
and we shall be at Laurel Hill School, Rondar. 
But we have not done anything, I’m sure.” 

“Well, perhaps you didn’t say ‘ Danny, my 
30 


Daniel Morford 


boy, you’re a brick,’ but, on the other hand, you 
didn’t say i My good sir, you are impertinent,’ 
as one of those swell girls down on the shore 
did when I picked up the handkerchief she’d 
dropped, and then strolled along beside her a 
few steps sort o’ friendly; I’d seen her at Mr. 
Stone’s half a dozen times, I guess, though I 
hadn’t spoken to her before. Lor,’ she like to 
a-f roze me stiff ! Guess I’ve got a thing or two 
to learn about your society girl. Well, that can 
wait. Got serious business on hand for a year 
or two yet. Here you are. Come on. Give me 
your traps and stuff, and I’ll land you all safe 
and sound in your Rondar train. Guess you’re 
goin’ to make good connections, too. Mind 
lookin’ after my things a minute? ” he added, 
turning toward the lady opposite. “Soon as I 
get the girls all settled I’ll come back after you. 
Don’t mind, do you? ” 

“Not a bit; I am in no hurry. I will wait 
until you come back.” 

“That’s right good of you. Girls can’t get 
on as well as old ladies and us fellows, can 
31 


Three Graces 

they?” And with another nod, on he strode, 
well burdened with the girls’ belongings, for 
not a single thing would he allow them to 
carry. The Bondar train was awaiting the ar- 
rival of the New York train, and, settling them 
in their seat, he placed their things in the un- 
occupied one in front of them, and then held out 
his hand like an old friend. “ Good-by; good 
luck; God bless you,” and with another friendly 
nod and an awkward jerk of his hat, Daniel Mor- 
ford passed out of the car, but not out of their 
lives. 

“Got ’em all settled nice as you please,” he 
announced upon his return to his own car and 
the lady waiting for him,” and now I’ll look 
after you and your stuff and tote it wherever you 
say. Nice girls those. Didn’t talk much, to be 
sure — guess,” with a chuckle, “I didn’t give ’em 
much chance. But they were friendly and pleas- 
ant, and treated a fellow as though he was some- 
body if he did come from the country and wa’n’t 
no great shakes on the fummediddles. Haven’t 
had much time to polish up down there on the 
32 


Daniel Morford 

farm. Father had to hustle too hard to take 
care of mother and ns youngsters. Maybe the 
shinin’ process ’ll begin later; who knows*? ” 

As he talked he stood waiting for the lady to 
hand him her things, but taking up her only 
piece of baggage, a moderate-sized satchel, she 
looked up at the tall man to say : 

“ You need not go with me, thank you, for I’ve 
only this small satchel, and can easily manage 
it. I shall take a cab and go right to my hotel. 
So good-by. You have given me a refreshing 
morning, and I hope that we may meet again 
some day.” 

“ That’s kind of you. Good-by. Go with 
you just as well as not if you say so,” and he 
raised his hat as she passed down the car, and 
then resumed his seat to continue his journey. 
An hour later the four travelers were miles 
apart. 

It did not take the girls long to reach their 
destination, where they were met by Miss Em- 
erson. 

“So this is my new pupil*? ” she said as she 
33 


Three Graces 

greeted them. “I am more than pleased to wel- 
come you to Laurel Hill, and hope it may prove 
a happy home for you this winter. I almost feel 
as though it were two pupils coming back to me, 
instead of pupil and teacher ; for I can not learn 
to class your sister among the teachers; she 
seems such a girl herself. You will find your 
roommate — another Grace, by the way — await- 
ing you, and I hope you will be fond of each 
other,” and smiling her winning smile, Miss 
Emerson went to look to the welfare of her 
other girls. 

Laurel Hill was a good-sized school, with 
pupils from all parts of the country, most of 
whom would enter Bryn Mawr College, although 
many would go elsewhere. Notwithstanding its 
size there was much of the home element about 
it, and the girls, as a rule, were delightful ones, 
well-bred and earnest in their work. But there 
were, of course, some sheep whose wool had not 
been thoroughly bleached in the home fold, and 
who were undergoing that delayed process much 
to their own and their instructors’ tribulation, 
34 


Daniel Morford 

for lambs are much more easily scoured than 
sheep. 

“Here is your room, dear,” said Adalaide, 
as she tapped at a closed door a little way down 
the opposite side of the hall from her own room. 

“Come in,” called a cheery voice, and they 
entered to find a dark-haired, dark-eyed girl 
stooping over a large trunk from which she was 
removing an armful of garments. Hastily lay- 
ing them upon the bed beside her, she hurried 
toward them holding out both hands, and saying 
in a musical voice, with the softest of Southern 
accents : 

“Oh, here you are! I’m right glad you’ve 
come. Miss Emerson said you would get here 
about two o’clock, and, sure enough, here you 
are. How do you do, Miss Percy? I’m so glad 
to see you again ! ” 

Adalaide and Grace met this cordial welcome 
more than half-way, and Grace clasped the girl’s 
hand warmly in her own as she replied : 

“Thank you ever so much for welcoming me 
so cordially. I’m awfully glad to be here. With 
35 


Three Graces 


you for a roommate and Adalaide so near at 
hand, I shall never dare think of being home- 
sick, you know. But I’ve no doubt Adalaide will 
have to stand upon her dignity here, and we shall 
not dare cut up as we do at home. Won’t it 
seem funny to hear all the girls call you ‘ Miss 
Percy ’ ? ” 

“I shall always he Adalaide in this room and 
my own, never mind what amount of dignity I 
am forced to clothe myself with in order to go 
out into the hall” replied Adalaide, laughing into 
the two pairs of sparkling eyes before her. 

“Is that shorely true? That would be lovely, 
wouldn’t it? Bight chummy for us girls, and 
we’ll promise not to forget in public. Now let 
me help you get your things off,” she said, turn- 
ing toward Grace, “for I came first, and you’re 
sort of company. My things are in an awful 
mess, hut they can wait, I reckon, for I’m hostess, 
and I’m bound to do the honors as prettily as I 
can,” and, true to her warm-hearted Southern 
hospitality, Grace Langford fell into the place so 
natural to her, and before Grace Percy had re- 
36 


Daniel Morford 


alized how it happened she was seated in the 
easiest chair in the room, with this bonny South- 
ern girl removing the pins from her hat and 
laying both hat and pins upon the dresser, and 
offering the dozen little attentions which would 
have been so much a matter of course for her 
to offer a guest coming into her own beautiful 
Southern home. 

Meanwhile Adalaide had been called away 
by the duties which had to be resumed the mo- 
ment she crossed the threshold of Laurel Hill. 


37 


CHAPTER IV 


THE THREE GRACES 

Three weeks had slipped away and the 
school machinery was running smoothly. 
There were few rules, for Miss Emerson was a 
firm believer in self-government, and trusted 
much to her pupils’ sense of honor. If some 
seemed to have come into this world with a piti- 
ful lack of that all-redeeming quality, she trusted 
to association and wise guidance to develop it 
rather than ever hoping to bring it about by 
strictly enforced rules. Being a wise woman, 
she realized her limitations, and while loving her 
girls dearly, and caring for them most consci- 
entiously, she felt that her very position as the 
principal of the school — the head of all things — 
kept her apart from them to a certain degree, 
and that even though she longed to be their 
friend and confidante in all things, a certain 
38 


The Three Graces 

indefinable barrier field fier apart from some of 
tfieir natures. 

Perfiaps it was due to tfie girls tfiemselves, 
for tfie words “ teacher ” and “ secretiveness ” 
seem to be synonyms in some girls’ natures, and 
in none so much as in those in whose homes tfie 
older and the younger members have been more 
or less divided in sympathies. Tfie girls who 
came from homes where “mother ” was compan- 
ion, guide, and friend, rarely evinced that pecu- 
liar reserve of thought and action often notice- 
able between teacher and pupil, but accepted 
Miss Emerson at once for their friend and saw 
no reason for doing otherwise. But the girl 
coming from the home where “mother never had 
time,” or where she was constantly made to feel 
that “mother ” lived wholly in the world of 
“grown-ups,” in which she could have no place 
at present, and that in that home she was just 
a unit among many, to be given certain things, 
to learn special accomplishments and nothing be- 
side, and to keep herself in the background as 
much as possible until she could burst from a 
4 39 


Three Graces 


stupid little grub into a gorgeous butterfly to 
prove an ornament to those about her — this was 
the girl who caused Miss Emerson the most con- 
cern. With such girls she labored most care- 
fully, and strove hard to reach them — to make 
them feel that they were of some use and impor- 
tance in the world’s economy, although not, per- 
haps, as they themselves would be liable to think 
of use and importance. She wished them to 
learn that they had places to fill wherein they 
would be useful, helpful, and add much to the 
happiness of those with whom they came in 
contact. 

To this end she had been planning ever since 
she first opened her school ten years before, but 
until the vacation just passed had been unable 
to carry out those plans to her own satisfaction. 
Now, however, she had managed to secure the co- 
operation of an old and trusted friend ; one who 
had made girls an almost sacred study. 

Filled as was Miss Emerson’s life with school 
duties, she often lacked the time she longed to 
have to devote to individual cases, for sixty or 
40 — 


The Three Graces 

seventy girls are a good many to look after, 
and when one adds to that number of pupils 
seven teachers to be directed and kept up to one’s 
ideals, the undertaking is not to be lightly re- 
garded. 

The matron of the school, while a woman of 
exceptional executive ability, well qualified to 
fill her position of housekeeper and look care- 
fully to the domestic economy of the household, 
was in no degree fitted to supervise the girls’ 
physical or moral well-being, and was never 
called upon to do so. Herself a member of a 
new religious cult, she went through life thank- 
ing the Lord that she was not as other women 
were, and held her head so high in her search 
for new and shining stars that she utterly failed 
to see some very sweet, though commonplace, 
little blossoms which grew in the path along 
which she was stumbling while her eyes were 
fixed upon things unattainable. 

So Miss Emerson built no hopes upon Mrs. 
Hand’s influence, feeling that she herself must 
care for the moral, mental, as well as the phys- 
41 


Three Graces 

ical development of her girls until she could 
secure the help of some one who thoroughly un- 
derstood both herself and them. So far as 
wholesome food and well-cared-for rooms were 
concerned, Mrs. Hand could do all that was re- 
quired. But there was still another side which 
she felt she must reach — the side a mother 
would understand — the side sooner or later 
shown by every girl that has ever lived, whether 
she he conscious of it or not. Most schools lack 
it, or rather the qualities to meet it. Miss Emer- 
son determined that hers should not . 

Ding, dong, d-o-n-g! D-o-n-g, dong, ding! 
rang out the pretty chimes calling all to dinner, 
and sixty-seven hungry girls came from as many 
different directions to throng into the big dining- 
room. There were seven tables in the room, 
with a teacher at each. Adalaide sat at Miss 
Emerson’s table. In filed the girls to take their 
seats, some quietly, some noisily, some grace- 
fully, according to their natures and training. 

Grace Percy, with Grace Langford beside 
her, sat about half-way down the room at Miss 
42 


The Three Graces 


Poindexter’s table. Miss Poindexter taught 
mathematics, and had so stored and filled her 
head with a knowledge of conic sections and 
algebraic problems that there was no room left 
for anything else. She was a scholar, but not a 


teacher, and knowing so well why 


x -\-y = 21 _ 
63~ 


x = 12, y = 9, she couldn’t for the life of her un- 
derstand why the first girl to whom she happened 
to give the problem did not know it also, and 
hence difficulties sometimes arose. She had 
lived beyond the memory of the time when her 
brain had puzzled over these problems and her 
head had ached trying to find out why . But Miss 
Emerson had known her many years, and real- 
izing that an elderly mother and semiinvalid sis- 
ter were dependent upon her for support, she re- 
tained her in her service, even though she often 
questioned the justice to others of so doing. Just 
there she was confronted by one of the problems 
of life. 

Miss Poindexter was conscientious in her 
work, and well qualified to fill her position as 
43 


Three Graces 


teacher save in the one great essential: the 
power to understand why others could not. And 
so she labored on from day to day, using up her 
own vitality in complicated explanations, going 
over the same ground again and again, often 
laboring beyond her strength, just because the 
divine spark was wanting. 

Oh, for the power to be given to such laboring 
souls to go back to their girlhood days for just 
one brief hour, and relive their own experiences. 

The dinner hour was always a merry one, 
for Miss Emerson encouraged conversation and 
lingered over the meal, giving the girls ample 
time to talk about the events of the day and 
have a truly social meal. It was far more like 
the dining-room of a very large family than 
that of a school. Miss Emerson’s table stood 
next to Miss Poindexter’s, and just as all were 
seated, and soup was being served, in hurried a 
striking-looking girl to take her seat at the one 
unoccupied place at Miss Poindexter’s table. 
She was about sixteen years of age, plump, and 
well formed, with a mop of curly — kinky would, 
44 


The Three Graces 

perhaps, better express it — dark brown hair 
drawn up into a huge pompadour with a large, 
rampant bow of cardinal satin ribbon, and tied 
at the nape of her neck with another how to 
match. Her dress was a fine quality of white 
organdy, sprigged with holly, and cut rather low 
in the neck, although simply made. The baby- 
waist was gathered about the belt with a soft, 
silken sash, drawn so tight that one won- 
dered how that plump little body drew in suffi- 
cient oxygen to keep it working. Around the 
white, shapely throat was a string of gold beads, 
and gold bangles jingled upon the white rounded 
arms, for the sleeves ended just above the el- 
bows. The skirt was very full, and rather 
shorter than seemed appropriate for a girl so 
well developed, and swished and swirled about 
her as she swept across the room with the self- 
importance and self-confidence of a marchioness. 

“Oh, I b-e-g your pardon for being late, 
Miss — Ah, really, your name has slipped from 
me,” with an affected inclination of her head as 
she dropped into the seat next Grace Percy. 

45 


Three Graces 


Now never was a round peg less liable to ad- 
just itself in a square bole than this one. Miss 
Poindexter was a nervous woman. She was also 
a woman who took girls as a class, massing them 
up in one concrete whole, and expecting one 
rule and one line of conduct to fit all — at least, 
to fit with more or less exactness. If some 
edges had to be rubbed oft, or some rounded cor- 
ners failed to fill out the squares, why it would 
all come out right in the general shake-up. It 
was system which counted — system which kept 
the poor little short-legged horse on a dead run 
to keep up with its long-legged mate. If such 
and such methods proved successful here, why 
not there? A girl like the one just described 
could hardly have hit upon an older person less 
liable to understand her, or more liable to fail in 
reaching whatever latent common sense she 
might possess. Oh, me, Fate is a contrary old 
spinster ! 

“ Yes, you are tardy, but you are the new pu- 
pil, I believe,” a fact so evident that the state- 
ment lost force. “ I am Miss Poindexter,” was 
46 


The Three Graces 

the quickly spoken reply to the drawl of that new 
pupil. 

“Miss Poindexter! Oh, thanks. Yes, I 
came to-day — quite late this afternoon, in fact. 
Mamma had a luncheon this morning, and I 
simply could not leave earlier. I am Miss 
Houghton,” and with an airy toss of her head 
“Miss Houghton ” swept the table with one all- 
comprehensive glance of her dark eyes, and, 
taking up her soup spoon, held it for a moment 
daintily poised in her carefully manicured 
fingers, and then began to eat her soup. 

Perhaps barely three minutes had elapsed be- 
tween her entrance and that first mouthful, yet 
not a girl in the room had missed a single word 
or action, and lightning glances communicated 
various impressions. Miss Emerson’s face was 
a study. Turning toward Miss Poindexter, who, 
by the way, had not yet recovered her mental 
poise, she said: 

“I have placed Miss Houghton,” with the 
faintest stress laid upon the “Miss,” “at your 
table, Miss Poindexter, because I wish to have 
47 


Three Graces 


my three Graces together. They will show to 
better advantage so placed, I think. Grace, you 
will know your class — and classical — mates bet- 
ter as time goes on, for you are not only table 
companions, but near neighbors also. Let us 
hope that it may not resolve itself into Grace, 
Dis-Grace, and Scape-Grace, the modern trio.” 

Grace Langford and Grace Percy exchanged 
glances, and then burst out laughing, in which 
the others joined merrily. Over Grace Hough- 
ton’s face spread a half-bored, half-supercilious 
expression, as she turned slightly toward Miss 
Emerson to say : 

“Really? Then I presume I must be the one 
to resign myself to the opprobrious cognomen of 
Dis-Grace. Kismet ! Cela va sans dire.” 

The air, the tone, the studied French accent, 
were as perfect a bit of acting as one could well 
conceive of, and would have done credit to a 
Rehan. Miss Emerson’s lips twitched and her 
eyes twinkled as she replied in perfect German : 
“Passt der Schuh denn so gut? ” 

“I beg pard-o-n, Miss Emerson. Really, 
48 


The Three Graces 

German is quite beyond me. We lived in Paris , 
not Berlin, while abroad,” and no drop of water 
ever rolled more harmlessly off a duck’s back. 

Dinner proceeded and the conversation be- 
came general, although the new girl never for 
one moment forgot to pose. 

One of the pleasantest features of Laurel Hill 
School was the gathering in the great library 
after dinner each evening. From seven to nine 
the girls were encouraged to meet there, when 
fancy work, games, or pleasant conversation 
were in order. If some preferred to read, the 
room was amply large, and had enough snug 
corners to accommodate the readers, and render 
reading possible, even while the game and lively 
chatter were going on in another part of it. 

Into one of these cozy nooks drifted Grace 
Langford and Grace Percy. Curling themselves 
up upon the divan hidden behind the curtains, 
they began to discuss the new arrival. 

“Wasn’t it the funniest thing you ever saw 
or heard?” demanded Grace Percy. “Where 
do you suppose she came from? ” 

49 


Three Graces 

“ Straight from dear Paree, I reckon. Wasn’t 
Miss Emerson bright to reply to her in German? 
But I believe she understood it well enough. My 
goodness, I could never have carried it off so 
well, though. I should have laughed right out, 
I know I should.” 

“We must cultivate our sister grace. Won- 
der where you and I will fill in ? Which will be 
the scape-grace? ” asked Grace Percy, laughing. 

“You will be ‘ grace ’ ; I’m right sure of that. 
I have always been the scape-grace at home, so 
I need not expect to drop it here. Old mammy 
used to say that I never got half the slaps she 
ought to have given me,” and Grace Langford 
ran her fingers through the beautiful blue-black 
hair which fluffed above her forehead. 

“Then, as I surmised, I am dis-grace,” an- 
nounced a voice behind the portieres , and out 
stepped Grace Houghton. How she had got 
there, or kept so completely concealed while they 
were talking, was a mystery to remain unsolved. 


50 


CHAPTER Y 
Hallowe’en plans 

“Yes, up in the attic at half past nine. I’ve 
got apples and crullers, but that is all. Can’t 
you get something more ? ” asked Florence 
Colt. 

“Who all will be there? ” asked Grace Lang- 
ford. 

“Nearly all the girls. At least, all that are 
going to be home. Some of them are going 
down with Miss Emerson to hear the lecture on 
Persian art. It will be Miss Poindexter’s night 
on duty, and all the other teachers are going to 
the lecture too. I asked Miss Emerson if we 
might have some Hallowe’en fun, and sit up until 
they came back from the lecture, and she said 
we might if we would be careful not to burn the 
school down.” 

Four or five girls were gathered in the 

51 


Three Graces 


“ Graces’ ” room just after study hour ended 
on the afternoon of October 30th. Study hour 
at Laurel Hill lasted from four until five-thirty, 
and in that time was done all the work necessary 
to do out of school hours, for Miss Emerson be- 
lieved that five solid hours’ work during the 
morning were as many as the average girl ought 
to take, and once they were over insisted upon 
outdoor exercise until four o’clock, feeling that 
sunshine and fresh air were quite as essential 
to the girls’ bodies as algebra and Latin to their 
brains. If the lessons for the following day 
could not he prepared in the ninety minutes set 
aside for that work each afternoon, then there 
were too many of them, and some must be 
dropped. But her girls must be absolutely free 
at other times. 

As a result of this wise order of things there 
were fewer muddled wits and headaches at 
Laurel Hill than at the average boarding-school, 
for during the sunny hours of the afternoon the 
girls were either in the tennis-courts, on the 
golf-links, walking, or driving, and a healthier, 
52 


Hallowe’en Plans 

happier lot of girls it would have been difficult 
to find. 

“I know where I can get some flour for the 
dumb-cake, but who’ll bake us the ring-cake? ” 
asked Grace Langford. 

“ Don’t you think that Mrs. Hand would? ” 
asked Grace Percy. 

“Mrs. Hand! I guess so! ” were the derisive 
cries from some of the others. “She would tell 
us that if we would only think we already had a 
cake we would have one, and if we didn’t find our 
teeth in a flaky morsel it was all because our sins 
had found us out.” 

“ Yes ! Or that if we only had sufficient faith 
we could make our cake out of thin air, and bake 
it in a sunbeam,” was the laughing comment of 
another girl. 

“But we must have the cake! It wouldn’t 
be Hallowe’en without it,” cried Grace Percy. 
“Here, girls, let’s make a wish on this wish- 
bone I saved from last night’s dinner — and, I 
say, wasn’t that chicken good? Madam Hand 
knows how to buy poultry anyway. Now come 
53 


Three Graces 

on ! Here, Florence, take hold of the other side 
— way down. Now! I wish that Mrs. Hand 
would open her heart and bake us a Hallowe’en 
cake ! ” 

“ Rubbish ! I wish that one would walk right 
in the front door all labeled and addressed to 
the Laurel Hill girls. How is that for extrava- 
gance? Might as well make a whopper while 
I’m about it, and I’m quite as liable to get 
mine as you are to get yours. But let’s all 
keep our wits awake, and who knows? Maybe 
a feast will materialize out of nothing,” cried 
Florence. 

“May I contribute my share? ” asked a voice 
at the door, and Grace Houghton stood before 
them. 

“Why — certainly. Glad to have you join us, 
I’m sure,” answered Grace Percy, but there was 
a hesitating tone to her voice, and the words 
were just a shade wanting in cordiality, for 
thus far Miss Houghton had not exactly fitted 
into her place beside the other two Graces. How- 
ever, her room was exactly opposite theirs, and 
54 


Hallowe’en Plans 

she was not easily rebuffed, or else possessed a 
remarkable faculty for concealing the fact. 

Not a girl in the room who would not have 
felt better pleased to dispense with whatever her 
contribution might prove to be than accept it 
with Grace herself as a condition of having the 
goody. But they were well-bred girls and were 
cornered. If Grace noticed this lack of warmth 
she certainly gave no sign, hut, dropping upon 
the divan near the window, said: “You know I 
asked Miss Emerson to let me go into Phila- 
delphia to consult Dr. Strong about my eyes yes- 
terday. Gave her mamma's letter saying she 
wished me to do so, and that she would prefer 
having me go alone, as I knew my way perfectly, 
and am accustomed to going about alone. Miss 
Emerson was disposed to say 1 No ’ to that, 
hut mamma had laid particular stress upon that 
point. Ha! ha! It was too funny. It worked 
to a charm . I can write exactly like mamma, 
and the letter was, of course , enclosed with the 
one I received from mamma last Monday. I 
gave loth to Miss Emerson to read. Mamma’s 
5 55 


Three Graces 

real letter to me would have astonished her. Oh, 
she fell into the little trap admirably.” 

“Do you mean to say that you wrote two let- 
ters and played such a trick as that upon Miss 
Emerson? ” demanded Grace Langford, an 
ominous flash coming from the dark eyes, while 
the other girls gathered about, each face reflect- 
ing a different emotion. 

“Certainly. It was the easiest thing in the 
world. I wanted some Huyler’s. The stuff 
they have at the drug-store down-town isn’t fit 
to eat, so I went after it. I ordered ten pounds 
and sent the bill to mamma ; we have an account 
at the store. It came out last evening in a 
wooden box marked ‘ Books.’ I took good care 
of that , of course. So when you are ready for it 
there it is; you are very welcome to it, I’m 
sure. There is never any fun in eating one’s 
good things by oneself.” 

“Well, you surely are a case,” cried Grace 
Langford, surprised out of her usual politeness. 

“I wonder what Miss Emerson will say if she 
finds it out? ” broke in Grace Percy. 

56 


Hallowe’en Plans 

“I’ll bet you all a cookie she does know al- 
ready,” added Grace Langford, with a knowing 
wag of her pretty head. “I’ve been here three 
years, and I’ve learned a thing or two in that 
time.” 

“Well, you would do well to save your cookie 
this time, Miss Langford, for she doesn’t suspect 
a single thing. When I got home she was quite 
solicitous and very anxious to know whether the 
examination had been painful. I told her no, 
only the belladonna Dr. Strong had been obliged 
to put in my eyes made it a little difficult for me 
to see to read , and that I feared that I could not 
study much that evening. I’d been wise enough 
to rub some on the lower lid, you may be sure. 
It was great fun to see her touch my eyes — oh, 
ever so gently — with her cool, soft fingers and 
say so sympathetically: ‘ No, I would not try to 
use them to-night.’ Of course, I was not pre- 
pared with to-day’s work, but what of that? 
Merely a mark more or less, and— pouf ! N’im- 
porte.” 

The utter indifference, the sangfroid , of this 

57 


Three Graces 


speech would have set older heads thinking and 
forming conjectures as to what this girl’s home 
environment must have been, and what manner 
of mother she must have. 

“Where is your home, anyway? ” demanded 
Florence Colt. 

“Out in Street,” mentioning one of the 

most fashionable sections of Philadelphia. 

“Have you ever been to boarding-school be- 
fore ? ” asked Grace Percy. 

“This is my fourth,” was the rather discon- 
certing reply, as the young lady raised her eye- 
brows and gave her head a toss, toying mean- 
while with the ornaments dangling upon the 
long chain which hung about her neck. 

“My gracious! Four? How long were you 
at them, for pity’s sake? You can’t be any older 
than I am,” cried Florence Colt. 

“I shall be seventeen next September. Until 
I was expelled from each,” were the replies made 
in such a self-complacent tone that one might 
have thought that she had said, “Until I gradu- 
ated.” 


58 


Hallowe’en Plans 

“Next September? Why, then, you are only 
just sixteen now. It’s only October! ” 

“W-e-1-1, what of that? Suppose I chose to 
say I would he twenty-six ten years hence ? ” was 
the challenging reply, as a steely light came into 
the gray eyes. 

“You may say that you are Methuselah 
if you want to, hut that doesn’t make you 
him any more than it makes you seventeen 
when you are only sixteen. Fudge, what non- 
sense ! ” for Florence Colt was far more lia- 
ble to speak the truth than to study manners 
polite. 

But the statement regarding Miss Hough- 
ton’s having been expelled from three schools in 
succession passed without comment. Perhaps 
the girls accepted it “ with a grain of salt,” or 
perhaps it was altogether too overwhelming for 
them to grasp. At all events, nothing was said, 
although a rapid exchange of glances was sig- 
nificant. 

“Then all we have to start with are apples, 
crullers, and ten pounds of Huyler’s,” said Grace 
59 


Three Graces 

Percy, laughing and tactfully changing the sub- 
ject. 

“ Don’t forget the flour, honey. I managed 
to get some of that, but sha’n’t tell how. We 
can bake it in the chafing-dish. May stick fast, 
but so long as the initials don’t stick it’s all 
right.” 

“I’ll try for the other things,” said Grace 
Percy. u We must have a candle and some nuts, 
and, oh, everything Hallowe’eny. Perhaps we 
can go down-town to-morrow afternoon. I’ve 
nothing special on hand, have you, girls 1 ” 

“Not a thing. And, come on, girls, or we 
won’t be dressed for dinner,” and up jumped 
Florence to run from the room. 

The following afternoon three girls were 
making their way through the woodland border- 
ing the Laurel Hill grounds when they came upon 
a lady who was strolling along the pretty wood- 
path which they were following. She was 
gathering autumn leaves, and humming to her- 
self like a solitary bumblebee. The two Graces 
and Florence smiled at her as they stepped aside 
60 


Hallowe’en Plans 

to pass her, for the glance she cast at them was 
too friendly and cheery to pass unnoticed. 

“Some of the Laurel Hill girls out for an 
airing? Those parcels look very suggestive 
of Hallowe’en,” she said with a friendly nod. 

“That is just exactly what they are,” an- 
swered Grace Langford with a laugh. 

“I thought so. Is the cake all baked too? ” 

“Don’t we wish it was! ” was the reply in a 
chorus, as the girls unconsciously slackened their 
pace and fell in step with their companion. 

“How about the other requisites? Well 
supplied with all necessary? ” 

“We’ve got a pretty good supply, although 
we could take care of more,” and before they well 
knew how it had happened the girls were chatter- 
ing away in as friendly a manner as possible, 
telling all about their plans for the frolic and 
many things besides. 

“Do you live near here? ” asked Grace Lang- 
ford. 

“In Ivy Cottage,” was the reply. 

“What, right in our cottage? ” exclaimed 
61 


Three Graces 

Grace Percy. “I wonder if that is where I have 
seen yon before? ” 

An odd smile overspread the lady’s face as 
she answered: 

“ Don’t you think our acquaintance began 
sometime before we reached Laurel Hill? ” 

“Why, of course! ” cried Grace. “I knew I 
had seen you before somewhere, but just 
couldn't think where. Oh, wasn’t that the funni- 
est man you ever saw? I wonder what became 
of him ? Did you see him after he left us ? ” 

“What was it? Tell us all about it,” cried 
the other girls. 

“It was something perfectly comical which 
happened the day Adalaide and I came from 
New York, but I dare say Mrs. — ” and Grace 
paused questioningly, “can tell you more about 
it than I can. All I could do was to struggle 
against laughing right in the man’s face.” 

“Mrs. Sinclair,” was the name supplied. 
“This young lady and her sister encountered a 
character on their journey to the City of 
Brotherly Love, and set about proving its claim 
62 


Hallowe’en Plans 

to the title even before they reached it. He 
proved a puzzle to them, but I’ll venture to say 
that a truer, finer nature was never hidden be- 
neath an unpromising exterior than the one hid- 
den beneath that ‘pepper-and-salt’ suit of ready- 
made clothing. I, for one, should like to know 
more of the man, and hope that I may some day.” 
Then followed a ludicrous description of the ex- 
perience upon the train, which drew peals of 
laughter from the girls, and presently Ivy Cot- 
tage was reached. 

Mrs. Sinclair held out her hand to each in 
turn. “Will you come to visit me some day? ” 
she asked. 

“Oh, we’d love to! Do you think that Miss 
Emerson would let us ? ” cried the girls. 

“She will be willing, I am sure. We are old 
friends,” and bowing pleasantly, she entered the 
pretty cottage. 

“Wasn’t she lovely?” cried Florence Colt. 
“Not a bit stiff or grown-upish. She seemed 
just like one of us, didn’t she, when she told about 
Daniel Morford? Won’t it be fun to visit her? ” 
63 


CHAPTER VI 


HALLOWE’EN FUN 

“Who could have sent it? ” cried Grace Percy, 
with a fine disregard for the immortal Lindley. 
“Why Florence got her wish and more besides, 
for I never even dreamed that there could be 
such a cake made ! Girls, isn’t it a whopper ! ” 

“Do you know who sent it to us, Miss Emer- 
son! ” asked Grace Langford, turning toward 
Miss Emerson. 

The girls were gathered about a monstrous 
cake decorated in cabalistic signs in red icing 
upon a white background. It had been delivered 
at the school late that afternoon, a little note 
accompanying it to say: “For the Laurel Hill 
School girls. May their fates prove as plummy 
as the cake ! ” 

“I am sure that I can not possibly tell,” an- 
swered Miss Emerson, “for you see the card 
64 


Hallowe’en Fun 


which came with it is typewritten and tells no 
tales. Have not some of you got good friends 
near at hand ? Surely, it must have been an ex- 
tra good one who would make such a cake. My 
only consolation lies in the thought that even 
though it is very nearly as large around as a 
barrel, there are so many to partake of it that 
there can’t possibly be any danger of any one 
getting more than is good for them. I shall 
hope to hear the result when your fates are put 
to the test.” 

Dinner was just ended, and the cake had been 
brought in and placed upon Miss Emerson’s 
table by one of the maids. 

“ We ought to cut it right now, so Miss Emer- 
son can have some,” said Grace Langford. 

“No, indeed, you ought not! Keep it for 
your frolic to-night, but save a piece for me ; put 
it in my room, for it will taste deliciously when 
I get home from the lecture. And now off to 
your rooms to get your bonnets and your boots, 
for the omnibus will be here before you know 
it,” was Miss Emerson’s merry rejoinder. 

65 


Three Graces 


An hour later the big attic was ringing with 
laughter, for, with few exceptions, every girl in 
the school was putting her fate to the test. While 
some roasted chestnuts before the blazing logs, 
incidentally roasting themselves as well, for the 
room was more chamber than attic, having 
originally been intended for a gymnasium, and a 
monstrous fireplace built in one end of it, other 
girls bobbed for apples, or tried to catch them in 
their teeth as they dangled from strings. 

Apple-seeds were quivering upon eyelids 
which refused to cease winking; needles were 
being run through apples to see if a seed would 
be pierced, and, metaphorically, the heart of the 
swain for whom the apple had been named. 

The dumb-cake had been concocted in one 
corner, and was now baking in the chafing-dish, 
the initials having been carefully pricked in it 
with a hat-pin. Two girls were paring apples 
and throwing the parings over their left shoul- 
ders. Two more were sticking needles through 
a candle. 

Presently the dumh-cake was baked, and the 
66 


Hallowe’en Fun 

initials pricked upon it by Grace Houghton re- 
mained. 

“Seems like I couldn’t get anything to come 
out to-night,” cried Grace Langford. “Here, 
girls, open the window and let me fling this ball 
of twine out. May be he will be waiting to tie 
something to the end of it. Now ! ” and away 
flew the ball out into the moonlit night, for Grace 
held the end which came from the center of the 
ball, which unwound as it flew through the air, 
as a machine-wound ball will. It struck far out 
in the shrubbery, and for a moment nothing un- 
usual took place. Then the end still in Grace’s 
hand began to draw taut, and there was a steady 
strain upon it. Tug! Jerk! Then it stopped 
for a few moments, only to be taken up again, 
and the mysterious pulling go on. 

“Who can it be? There isn’t a man or a boy 
on the place that I know of excepting old Jerry 
and his son. I bet a cookie it’s one of the maids 
come back from their frolic, and they have been 
watching us from the grounds. Let’s go down 
and look. Miss Poindexter is too deep in ‘ Trine ’ 
67 


Three Graces 

to know whether we are up here or down in the 
grounds.” 

“All right, we’ll go,” cried several of the 
girls. 

“Oh, let’s cut our cake first! We’ve left it 
until almost the last thing, hut it’s a shame to 
let it tempt us any longer,” cried Grace Percy. 

“We’ll be back in just a minute,” cried Grace 
Langford. “We must see where my twine-hall 
has gone. Why, child, I haven’t had a single 
good thing happen to-night, and do you think 
I’m going to tempt fate by not responding when 
she beckons? ” 

“ ‘ The goblins will git yer if ye don’t watch 
out,’ ” was Grace Percy’s laughing retort. 

“The worst goblin we have to fear is Miss 
Poindexter. Odious creature ! ” exclaimed Grace 
Houghton. “Come on, girls, I for one am going 
down in those grounds if only because I know 
that she wouldn’t want me to.” 

“Go along if you want to, but don’t be sur- 
prised if we eat up all the cake while you’re 
gone,” answered one of the other girls. 

68 


Hallowe’en Fun 


“Save our pieces, Gracie, there's a dear," 
called back Grace Langford, as she slipped down 
the stairs, followed by Grace Houghton and 
three other girls. They stopped in their rooms 
long enough to catch up their golf-capes, for the 
night was chilly, then started toward the back 
stairs. As they reached the top Miss Poin- 
dexter, less lost to the world than they suspected, 
called from her room at the other end of the 
hall: 

“Where are you going, girls ? It is half past 
nine, and quite time your games ended." 

“We are going down to get a pitcher of 
water, Miss Poindexter," was Grace Hough- 
ton's prompt answer. 

“A pitcher of water? Why, do you need 
your capes on to get that? " 

“We were chilly up in the attic.” 

“Chilly! With such a roaring fire? Non- 
sense ! " 

“I presume it is the older person's privilege to 
insinuate that I am not telling the truth," was 
Grace's retort. 


69 


Three Graces 

Miss Poindexter saw too late that she had 
made a mistake, and that the course she had 
taken would not have been the one Miss Em- 
erson would have chosen. But she was not tact- 
ful enough to retreat gracefully, and weakened 
her point by hedging. 

“I imagine all tales must be accepted upon 
Hallowe’en, so go get your water.” And mur- 
muring something about “ advanced methods,” 
she retired to her room. 

“ Old busybody ! She gained a lot that time, 
didn’t she? ” cried Grace. “Now, come on, and 
we’ll find Grace’s string and something more be- 
sides if I know anything about it, for I’m ready 
for anything to-night.” 

Down they hurried, and were presently stand- 
ing upon the moonlit lawn. It was a beautiful 
night, and as silent and quiet as though no 
such thing as Hallowe’en revels were abroad in 
the land. The girls hurried around to the side 
of the building upon which the attic window, 
from which they had thrown the twine, was sit- 
uated, and presently came upon the string 
70 


Hallowe'en Pun 

hanging from it, and the girl who held it called 
down : 

“Pm going to tie it fast. Can’t stand here all 
night and miss all the fun.” 

“All right; tie away,” was the reply. 

“Now, come on, girls, and let’s find my fate,” 
cried Grace Langford, as she laid her fingers 
over the twine and began to follow her clue. 
The others were not a whit reluctant, and laugh- 
ing, joking, stumbling over the lawn, away the 
five went at a great rate. 

“My goodness, where does it go to?” ex- 
claimed Grace at length, and paused at a little 
side gate which opened upon the main road, a 
short cut to the village beyond of which the 
girls were in ignorance. 

But there was still no sign of the ball. It 
was well that they did not suspect the insecure 
knot which had been made by the girl at the 
“home end,” for it had promptly untied, and the 
twine was still traveling onward. 

“It must have been an awfully long ball,” 
remarked one of the girls. 

6 71 


Three Graces 


“It was! Just the very longest I could buy, 
and that’s the reason we don’t come to the end. 
Whoever took it must have gone over this gate, 
and they are still going! Oh, dear, I wish I dared 
follow ! ” 

“Dared! Why don’t you dare? Who is to 
say that we sha’n’t, now that we are started? 
Pm going, anyway.” 

“I really don’t think that we ought to leave 
the grounds, girls. I’m sure Miss Emerson 
would object to that at this time of the night. It 
must be nearly ten,” demurred Grace Langford, 
while the others awaited the verdict of the ma- 
jority. 

“You may do as you choose, but I’m going,” 
and placing her fingers about the twine, Grace 
Houghton opened the gate and started off. 

“Oh, come on, Grace! It can’t be very far, 
for that string must end some time,” cried the 
others, and Scape-Grace, throwing prudence to 
the winds, rushed after them. Presently the 
chase was in full cry, caution, second thoughts, 
and all the rest of the troublesome category of 
72 


Hallowe’en Fun 

evils for which we are hidden to “watch out,” 
utterly forgotten. 

“What do you suppose makes the string 
itself go so fast? That oughtn’t to move. It 
is only the ball which unwinds,” cried Grace 
Langford breathlessly, still mindful of philos- 
ophy and logic as they raced along, for the cord 
seemed slipping through her fingers even faster 
than they were running. 

“Oh, that’s nothing! It’s because we are 
going so fast,” answered one of the girls, with a 
fine disregard for the laws of physics. 

“No, it isn’t either — look there! That's 
what’s doing it,” cried Grace, coming to a sud- 
den standstill, as she discovered a dog bounding 
along ahead of them, and with every bound the 
animal gave came a corresponding bound to the 
twine. 

“He has the ball in his mouth! There’s my 
sweetheart ! Oh, catch him, girls ! ” and down 
she sat upon the grass by the roadside. The 
girls chased on, but the dog was not to be so 
easily caught, and presently dropped the col- 
73 


Three Graces 

lapsed twine-ball and dashed across a neigh- 
boring field. The moonlight shone full upon 
it, and the instant Grace Houghton’s eyes fell 
upon it she shouted: 

“Girls, it’s a cabbage patch! Note is our 
chance. Let’s find out whether our sweethearts 
will be handsome or ugly, straight or crooked.” 
And into the field she bounded, the others close 
at her heels, for Grace Langford had by this 
time recovered her breath enough to overtake 
them. 

Without more ado up came five cabbages, 
but before the girls had time to learn whether 
dirt clung to the roots, or whether each root was 
straight or crooked, a wild barking and shout- 
ing struck terror to their hearts, and over the 
field through which the dog had so lately fled 
from what he firmly believed to be retribution 
for the theft of the ball came two rough-looking 
men, somewhat the worse for their Hallowe’en 
celebration, and accompanied by the dog and 
two or three of his relatives. 

“Git out of there, will ye’es! Git out, ye 
74 



Three of the girls fled, but the Graces stood their ground 






























































































































Hallowe’en Fun 

thavin’ divvils. On to ’em, Jock! On to ’em! 
Out of this with ye ! ” 

Had the men not been under the influence of 
liquor they would have seen their mistake at 
once, for even the dogs seemed to realize that 
they were not attacking ruffians, and only circled 
about the girls, barking wildly. But the men 
were less discerning. 

Three of the girls fled, but Grace Langford 
and Grace Houghton stood their ground. Catch- 
ing up a stout stick which lay at her feet, Grace 
Houghton stood with upraised arms and flash- 
ing eyes. Grace Langford caught up a stone. 

* On came the men, swearing and shouting. In 
desperation Grace hurled her stone with all the 
force she could summon. It hit one of the men 
fairly upon his head and dropped him in his 
tracks. This so enraged his companion that 
what little reason whisky had left him promptly 
forsook him, and the battle was on in earnest. 
Although but sixteen, Grace Houghton was 
large and well developed for her age, and gym- 
nastic work had strengthened her muscles. 
75 


Three Graces 

Moreover, fear and anger lent her strength, and 
for a time she held her assailant at bay. 

“ Stand behind me, Grace — you’ve nothing to 
defend yourself with — or else run for help ! ” 
she gasped between strokes. But Grace was too 
terrified to run, and was almost sinking to the 
ground from fright, when out of the little strip 
of woodland across the road rushed several fig- 
ures, one crying: ‘‘Stop! Stop! What do you 
mean, Michael ? ” 

But it was too late. Down came Michael’s 
stick, and poor headstrong, valiant Grace 
Houghton fell with it. 


76 


CHAPTER VII 


“A DANIEL COME TO JUDGMENT” 

It was well for the man who struck that wild 
blow that he was not accountable for his doings, 
or it would have been the last ever recorded of 
them. Before he could raise his stick again out 
shot a powerful arm, and Michael Curran, gar- 
dener at Laurel Hill, lay prone, as a voice 
quivering with indignation shouted: 

“ You good-for-nothing, low-down brute, what 
do you mean ! Gosh me ! These are fine goin’s- 
on, and no mistake ! Scaring half a dozen pretty 
girls near about to death, and like enough killin’ 
one of ’em outright ! Tut ! Tut ! There, little 
girl, don’t cry like that ! She can’t be hurt very 
bad, for I saw the blow when it fell, and it didn’t 
seem such an awful whack. There, now; just 
you let me pick her right up in my arms and 
carry her along back to Mrs. Sinclair’s ; ’tain’t 
77 


Three Graces 

but just a step, anyhow, and we’ll soon have her 
all right. Here, Mrs. Sinclair, you settle that 
poor little cracked crown on my shoulder all 
comfortable; that’s right. Now get that little 
girl on her feet, and then shoo the others along 
ahead of you, and we’ll be at the cottage in half 
a jiffy. My Lord, ain’t it lucky I happened along 
to-night ! Tell you what, there’s a sort of spe- 
cial providence a-watchin’ over some folks. 
Don’t know how it was, but when that train was 
a-rushin’ along from Lancaster something said 
to me : ‘ Danny, get off and see if you can’t hunt 
up some of your friends near Philadelphia,’ and 
here I am. Those fellows? Oh, let ’em lay 
there. Little night air’ll soak some of the al- 
cohol out of ’em, mebbe. They’ve been irrigatin’ 
too freely. This sort o’ moisture’s good for 
’em.” For Mrs. Sinclair was demurring at leav- 
ing the two men in the field. “They ain’t hurt 
much, and what they are they deserve. We’ve 
got to look after these girls,” and talking 
like a machine, on strode this big man, car- 
rying Grace Houghton as easily as though she 
78 


“A Daniel Come to Judgment” 

were six instead of sixteen, while Grace Lang- 
ford, now somewhat calmed down, trotted along 
beside them, imploring Grace to speak to her, 
and to please not die. The other girls, their 
teeth still chattering from fright, pressed close 
to Mrs. Sinclair. 

“How in this world did yon ever happen to 
be out in that field at this time of the night! ” 
she asked, for thus far there had been no time 
for explanations. The girls told her, and added : 

“Just as soon as we saw those men we started 
to run, and we thought the Graces were right be- 
hind us until we turned and caught a glimpse of 
Grace Houghton with her stick. And then we 
screamed as hard as ever we could and ran to- 
ward your cottage. We didn’t know it was 
yours, but we saw the light and knew it must be 
somebody’s. We had never left the grounds by 
that little side gate before, and didn’t know 
where the path led to.” 

“Well, it is a fortunate thing for you that I 
happened to have a light. If Mr. Morford had 
not been calling upon me I certainly should have 
79 


Three Graces 


been fast asleep at ten o’clock at night. He was 
just going out of the door when we heard your 
screams. But here we are at the cottage. — 
Bring her right into my sitting-room and lay her 
upon the couch, Mr. Morford. — Run out to the 
dining-room and get the pitcher of ice-water, one 
of you girls, and bathe her head while I fly up- 
stairs for restoratives. — Mr. Morford, will you 
please wait in the parlor a few moments before 
going? I’m sorry to delay you, but I don’t quite 
know how serious this matter is.” 

Mrs. Sinclair was a small woman, and flew 
about like a will-o’-the-wisp, giving orders and 
settling things in no time. 

“Don’t intend to go to-night at all if you’ll let 
me roost somewhere. Can’t tell what minute 
you’ll need me, and besides, we’ve got to get these 
girls back to the school somehow,” announced 
Daniel Morford with prompt decision. “You 
can’t leave that little one there, so I reckon I’d 
better hike for the school soon as we get things 
straightened out a bit here. — Now just you lie 
right still, little girl, and don’t try to do any 
80 


‘A Daniel Come to Judgment 


more stunts this night. You’re all right where 
you are, and we’re going to take prime care of 
you,” he added, turning to Grace, who was just 
recovering consciousness under the cold-water 
applications. 

“Where — where— am I?” she asked in a 
shaky voice. 

“ Right here in the snuggest nest you ever 
heard tell on ; so lie still, that’s a good girl,” and 
stooping over her he laid her gently back upon 
the pillows, from which she had half arisen, and 
then stood stroking the poor, bewildered head as 
gently as a woman could have done, and ram- 
bling on much as he would have talked to an 
infant. 

“Near about knocked that poor little noddle 
clean off, didn’t they? Drat ’em! There now, 
don’t try to move. Lie still and let us cuddle 
you. Pretty doin’s. Poor little head ! There, 
there,” and as he talked he stroked and patted 
like any old nurse soothing her charge. 

“Now fix her up all right, and holler for me 
if you need me. I’ll be right on deck,” he said 
81 


Three Graces 


as Mrs. Sinclair returned and he resigned his 
charge to her ministrations, and with a reassur- 
ing nod left the room to await further orders 
in the parlor across the hall. 

Grace was not badly hurt, for the blow had 
been a glancing one, but the fright had unnerved 
her. However, under Mrs. Sinclair’s skilful 
care and the sympathetic girls’ reassuring words 
she was able to talk to them, although her head 
was still dizzy and ached and throbbed. Pres- 
ently Mrs. Sinclair’s neat maid, an elderly 
woman who had been in her service many years, 
hurried in, and said : 

“ Sure, Mis Sinclair, ye’ll he afther gittin’ her 
up-stairs and in the swate cool bed Pm afther 
fixin’ for the darlin’. ’Tis slape that’ll do her 
good, she’s that flambasticated. Faith, whin I 
clap me eyes on that Michael agin, hut he’ll hear 
a word from the mouth of Ellen McFarlain. 
Bad cess to him, the haythen ! ” 

With Mrs. Sinclair’s arm upon one side 
and Ellen’s upon the other they got Grace 
upon her feet and as far as the door, when 
82 


“A D aniel Come to Judgment’’ 

out bounced their masculine visitor from the 
parlor. 

“Now, by gum, what am I here for, I’d like to 
know? What do you mean by trying to navi- 
gate that little girl upon such shaky pins when 
I’m here to tote her wherever you want her? 
Now ! There, up you go ! Where to, Mrs. Sin- 
clair? ” And before they knew it he had whisked 
Grace up the stairs. 

“Front room to the right,” answered Mrs. 
Sinclair, laughing, for this whirlwind of a man 
seemed to have taken things in hand in earnest. 

“There you are, missee ! Eight side up with 
care. Now let ’em tuck you to bed all snug, and 
by to-morrow morning you’ll never remember 
that you went on a jolly lark and got your crown 
cracked to-night. Good night and pleasant 
dreams ! ” And away he strode down-stairs. 

“Now if you will go right up to the school 
with Ellen and the other girls you will have my 
everlasting blessing,” Mrs. Sinclair called after 
him, “for I dare say that they are in a pretty 
state of mind by this time to know what has be- 
83 


Three Graces 


come of them. Tell them Grace Houghton is all 
right, and do for mercy sake keep Miss Emerson 
from dying of fright.” 

“Trust me. — Come on, girls, and we’ll go 
home. — Trot ’em all out ahead of you, Ellen, and 
you watch two of ’em while I watch the other 
two, or the Lord only knows whether we’ll ever 
land ’em safe or not. I ain’t used to running a 
whole boardin’-school ; a law office ’s more in my 
line. Run that right up to the mark, but girls 
are queer creatures,” and rattling on, he ushered 
his party out into the moonlight and started for 
Laurel Hill. 

Meanwhile, things had been happening in 
that usually well-conducted establishment. 

“Where do you suppose those girls have 
gone ? ” demanded Florence Colt, when ten had 
chimed out from the clock in the hall and the 
girls had not returned. 

“After Grace’s sweetheart,” laughed Grace 
Percy. “But I wish they would come back for 
their share of the cake.” 

“ Oh, we can’t wait for them ! Come on, girls, 
84 


“A Daniel Come to Judgment” 

let’s cut it right now and save out five pieces for 
them. How many of us are here, anyway? 
Forty-nine! My goodness, can we ever cut it 
into that number of pieces ? Here, Grace, 
you’re the mathematician of the crowd, come on 
and cut.” 

Grace took up the big carving-knife lent by 
the cook, and in a few minutes gales of laughter 
proclaimed to which girl the various tokens had 
fallen. 

The last mouthful was just vanishing when 
a tap came upon the door and Miss Poindexter 
entered to say: 

“ Girls, it is half past ten, and high time 
your revels ended. I am sure Miss Emer- 
son would object to your remaining up any 
later.” 

“Why, she said that we might stay up until 
the clock struck twelve, when we were all going 
down-stairs backward with our mirrors,” cried 
Florence Colt. 

“I am sure that you must be mistaken,” cried 
this tactless woman, who went through life dis- 
85 


Three Graces 

trusting her fellow beings until she had proved 
them truthful — a line of argument somewhat at 
variance with jurisprudence. 

“Yes, she did, Miss Poindexter. She truly 
did,” cried the girls in a chorus. “She said that 
they would all come home on the eleven o’clock 
train from Philadelphia, that they would get 
here about twelve, and we might stay up until 
they came.” 

“Then why, may I inquire, did Miss Emer- 
son not so inform me ? Her words were : ‘ I have 
given the girls permission to have their Hallow- 
e’en frolic, Miss Poindexter, and I dare say it 
will be a merry one. They will retire at the usual 
hour for ending their revels,’ and you all know 
quite well that you are never allowed to sit up 
later than ten thirty. So go to your rooms at 
once, for it is already nearly eleven, and do not 
argue with me further.” 

And forty-nine thoroughly disgusted girls 
filed down the stairs, for Miss Poindexter had 
either forgotten that Miss Emerson had added 
that she need not remain up if she wished to 
86 


“A Daniel Come to Judgment” 

retire earlier, as the party would shortly be home 
from the lecture, or else she had decided that 
she would rest easier if she knew that the girls’ 
heads were upon their pillows when she laid 
her’s upon her own. 

“Hateful old thing! It’s all because she 
wants to go to bed herself and won’t trust us! 
Ugh! How I hate to be distrusted! It’s just 
like a red rag to a bull to me,” whispered Flor- 
ence Colt to Grace Percy. 

“I wish that something would happen to 
keep her out of her bed till nearly morning,” 
was the whispered reply, and Grace little real- 
ized how speedily her wish would be fulfilled. 
Grace entered her room just as Miss Poindexter 
passed down the hall “shooing” her flock be- 
fore her. 

“Where is your roommate? ” she demanded, 
and then for the first time missing Grace 
Houghton and the other girls, she cried : 

“Where is Grace Houghton, and why are not 
Molly and Maud and Katharine here? ” 

For a moment no one felt disposed to an- 
7 87 


Three Graces 

swer, and their brief hesitation was like a spark 
to powder. 

“Tell me this instant where those girls are! 
What folly have they fallen into now? ” 

“I don’t know that it is any folly, Miss Poin- 
dexter, for they only went down into the grounds 
to follow the clue,” replied Grace Percy with 
some dignity, for Miss Poindexter’s line of con- 
duct was extremely irritating to her. 

“The clue? What clue? I knew it! I felt 
a premonition that something was wrong. Down 
in the grounds at this hour of the night ! Simply 
outrageous ! ” And away she fled, followed by a 
number of the girls, but not taking the least no- 
tice of them, for she was keen upon the scent of 
greater mischief, and ready for things to happen. 


88 


CHAPTER VIII 


MISS POINDEXTER COLLAPSES 

Of course no sign or trace of the girls was 
to be found in the grounds, and Miss Poindexter 
was promptly thrown into a state of mind. 

“Go straight back to the house and call Mrs. 
Hand, Florence, while the girls and I search fur- 
ther/ J she cried. “Oh, dear me! Dear me! This 
is what comes of allowing girls too much lib- 
erty. It is all very well in theory, but it can 
never, no , never , be put into practise.” 

In a few moments Mrs. Hand appeared, 
armed and equipped with her convictions and 
theories. She was a tall, spare woman, with 
iron-gray hair, which she usually wore drawn up 
over a roll, but which was now drawn tightly 
back from her face and twisted into a little pug 
at the back of her head — her customary arrange- 
ment for the night. Her skin was almost color- 
89 


Three Graces 


less, her features sharp, her lips so thin and 
tightly compressed that her expression was at 
times almost savage. It was an aggressive face, 
entirely wanting in the soft, womanly character- 
istics which would make a little child instinc- 
tively turn and smile into it, or a young girl 
trust it. 

“0 Mrs. Hand, Mrs. Hand,” cried Miss Poin- 
dexter, as that lady drew near, “five of the 
girls are lost! lost! No one knows what has 
become of them. I am distracted ! To think of 
their being out at this hour of the night ! They 
will catch their death colds, if nothing worse 
happens to them. What shall we do? Where 
shall we search ? ” 

“Lost? Nonsense! If their consciences are 
clear, nothing can happen to them. Colds ? Ab- 
surd ! Merely the fallacy of a disordered brain. 
There is no such thing as a cold ! Ills are purely 
imaginary,” was Mrs. Hand’s superior retort. 

“Wonder if sneezing and blowing her nose 
are ‘ purely imaginary ’ ? ” asked Grace Percy 
under her breath. 


90 


M iss Poindexter Collapses 

“I wish that she’d catch a fine cold out here 
just to put it to the test,” was whispered hack. 

“Do you suppose that a good, genuine sneeze 
would make her seem like other folks ? It might 
make her a shade more human. She’s just like 
a spook now,” was Grace’s criticism. 

Up and down through the grounds chased 
Miss Poindexter, growing momentarily more ex- 
cited, while tall, gaunt Mrs. Hand stalked behind 
her like the very personification of calamity. By 
this time some of the girls had become sympa- 
thetically alarmed, and as twelve toned out upon 
the silent air and the whistle of an incoming 
train announced the speedy return of the prin- 
cipal, poor Miss Poindexter’s cup of woe over- 
flowed entirely. They were all gathered about 
the large entrance gate, and casting herself upon 
a rustic seat near by, she gave way to unre- 
strained woe. 

“I can not endure this suspense! I can not! 
I can not ! ” she wailed and sobbed hysterically, 
echoed by half a dozen girls, for there was never 
yet a school in which Niobes did not flourish. 

91 


Three Graces 


“ There is no suspense! It all lies within 
yourself,” was the austere reply, which proved 
the last straw for the poor earners hack, for Miss 
Poindexter turned upon the tall woman standing 
there in the moonlight, and almost shrieked at 
her: 

“No suspense? Rests within myself? Per- 
haps you may be induced to think differently 
within a few moments. I, for one — ” But Miss 
Poindexter did not finish, for just then six fig- 
ures appeared in the gateway, one of them ex- 
claiming in a decidedly masculine voice : 

“There now! There now! Expected to find 
a state of things up here, but Tain’t a mite of use 
to screech,” for at the sight of a man, the last 
remnant of Miss Poindexter’s sense forsook her, 
and with one despairing shriek she caught hold 
of Mrs. Hand and held to her for dear life. 

“Lord-a-mussy, are we such skeery sights as 
all that? ” cried Daniel Morford. “Always 
knew I wa’n’t no great shakes on style, but never 
thought that I was homely enough to scare a 
girl into the hysterics ! ” 

92 


Miss Poindexter Collapses 

“It isn’t a girl , it’s Miss Poindexter,” cried 
Grace Percy, with fine disregard for another of 
Miss Poindexter’s foibles, for that good lady 
disliked to be considered — well — mature. 

“Well, mebbe she is old enough to have better 
sense, but that don’t seem to have helped mat- 
ters much, does it now? Here, Miss Poindexter, 
don’t take on like that ; I ain’t anything to scare 
you so. Just brought back your girls — all but 
one, at least, and she’s all right, too. That news 
ought to set you a-laughin’ instead of crying. 
Come, now, brace up, do ! Nothin’ in the world 
wrong with the girls. Just a little episode. 
Bound to happen on Hallowe’en — ain’t a mite of 
harm done. — But, say, I reckon we’re old friends, 
ain’t we now,” and turning, he held out his hand 

to Grace Percy. 

* 

“Oh, it’s Mr. Morford,” she cried, and in- 
stantly there passed over her, without her being 
able to define why, a sense of security, as though 
this big uncouth man brought with him the 
power to adjust difficulties. 

“Sure’s you live. On my way back to Tren- 
93 


Three Graces 


ton. Thought I’d like to stop over and hunt you 
folks up. Didn’t forget you, you see! First 
person I ran up against was the lady who came 
over in the train with us. Met her down at the 
post-office, where I’d stopped to ask my way to 
the school. Just as nice as ever. Told her I 
was cornin’ up here to see you girls, and she 
asked me to call on her first, ’cause she lived 
near. Went right up to her house with her, and 
was treated so bang-up that I liked to forget to 
go home. Didn’t start till ten, blessed if I did, 
and it’s lucky I didn’t, for next thing I knew I 
heard those girls screechin’ like all possessed, 
and was just in time to help ’em out.” 

By this time all had crowded around Daniel 
Morford, Ellen, and the restored girls. 

“What did you help them out of, and who are 
you? ” cried Miss Poindexter in little gasps, for 
she was still hysterical, and was sitting upon the 
garden seat to recover herself. 

“ That’s my name ! ” and out came the ever- 
present card from his coat pocket. But Miss 
Poindexter was too excited to heed it. Not so 
94 


Miss Poindexter Collapses 

Mrs. Hand. An icicle could not have been cooler. 
“/ will take it,” she said severely. 

“ Oh, no, you needn’t. She can have that one ; 
may want me some day. Here’s another for 
you. Got plenty. Had five hundred printed 
just before I left. No tellin’ when you’ll need 
’em. But you’d better get your girls indoors. 
Good night. I’ll take Ellen back now. Little 
girl down there’s all right with Mrs. Sin- 
clair.” 

“ What little girl? Aren’t they all here? ” 
screamed Miss Poindexter. 

“No, ma’am. One got her poor little noddle 
cracked.” But before he could further explain, 
Miss Poindexter was again dissolved in tears. 
Just then the clatter of hoofs announced the 
return of the omnibus, and a moment later an 
astonished school principal found herself stand- 
ing at midnight at the entrance of her school 
with fifteen or more people — pupils and teach- 
ers — about her, all talking at once, and one 
of the number bewailing the fact that she 
should “never again, no, nev-e-r, be able to re- 
95 


Three Graces 

sume her duties, for she was crushed, utterly 
cru-s-h-ee-dd ! ” 

It was nearly 2 a. m. before the girls got 
calmed down and the last light was extinguished 
in Laurel Hill. 

For some time after these exciting scenes had 
been passed through things ran very smoothly. 
On the day following the frolic Daniel Morford 
called upon Ada! aide and Grace, and set them 
and Miss Emerson in gales of laughter with his 
account of his rescue, his trip to Lancaster, and 
his general sizing up of human nature. Then he 
went his way with promises to see them in New 
York when they went there for their holiday. 

In the course of a day or two Grace Houghton 
returned, apparently none the worse for her ex- 
perience, although a little seed had been sown 
which later would bear good fruit. She was 
wildly enthusiastic over Mrs. Sinclair, her dear 
little home, her personal appearance, her man- 
ner, and all belonging to her, and her enthusiasm 
became so infectious that very soon every girl 
in the school was wild to visit their neighbor. 

96 


Mi ss Poindexter Collapses 

J ust why they wished to know her it would, per- 
haps, have been difficult for them to tell, and 
little did any of them suspect that their wishes 
jumped in perfect accord with Miss Emerson’s, 
for she was wise enough never to hint that in 
Mrs. Sinclair she saw all that was ideal as a 
woman and mother, and that it had afforded her 
the keenest satisfaction to enter into arrange- 
ments with this old friend for that winter. 

Mrs. Sinclair’s only daughter, a girl of twen- 
ty-two, was a senior at Bryn Mawr, and Mr. Sin- 
clair was called from home the greater part of 
the time by business matters. Hence her home 
for the time being could as well be near Phila- 
delphia as near New York, her native city. She 
was engaged in literary work, and particularly 
wished to spend that winter near some large 
school, where she could see “ McGregor upon his 
native heath,” for her work just then was a story 
of boarding-school life, and she never cared to 
undertake any line of work with which she was 
not perfectly familiar. While turning the mat- 
ter over in her mind, she bethought her of her 
97 


Three Graces 

old friend Miss Emerson, and wrote to her. 
Then came the offer of Ivy Cottage, which was 
accepted with alacrity, and the school had barely 
begun its fall term when Mrs. Sinclair and the 
faithful Ellen were established therein. 

Then followed an exchange of confidences, 
and Miss Emerson felt that she had secured a co- 
worker, for Mrs. Sinclair loved and understood 
girls as only a mother whose intercourse with 
her own daughter had assumed more the nature 
of sister’s companionship can understand them, 
and was keenly in sympathy with Miss Emer- 
son’s ideals for her girls. 

November had set in rainy and dreary, so 
that but little outdoor exercise could be indulged 
in, and consequently the girls were restless with 
a restlessness which even the big gymnasium 
could not work off. 

“Oh, what beastly weather!” cried Grace 
Percy when she entered Adalaide’s room after 
luncheon one afternoon, and a steady downpour 
precluded the walk which they had planned. 

“Never mind, sweetheart. We’ll have a snug 
98 


Miss Poindexter Collapses 

afternoon together, for I’ve no more lessons to- 
day, and here’s the loveliest letter from mam- 
ma you ever read. I’ve been saving it for a 
special treat this afternoon,” said Adalaide as 
she drew Grace down upon the window-seat be- 
side her. 

“Pm an old crosspatch, and that’s the truth,” 
protested Grace. “Here, give me something to 
do while you read the letter aloud to me.” 

“ Oh, will you ! That will he lovely, for some- 
how I seem to find time for everything but 
mending, and my glove and shoe buttons are 
the trials of my life.” 

“Trot ’em out, and the things to mend them, 
and I’ll sail right in.” 

Nearly an hour slipped away, and then a tap 
came upon the door, and the remaining Graces 
entered. Grace Percy was sitting a la Turk in 
the middle of the floor, surrounded by every 
shoe Adalaide owned, industriously sewing on 
buttons. 

“Why, what in this world are you doing! ” 
cried Grace Langford. 

99 


L.ofC. 


Three Graces 


“ Sewing on shoe buttons, don’t you see! 
Some came off, so I’m assisting all the others 
in the ways of righteousness,” was the merry 
reply. 

“Haven’t you got something for me to do, 
Miss Percy! I don’t reckon I’m much use at 
sewing, hut I can straighten out bureau drawers 
and such things. Let me try! ” 

“I’m afraid that they haven’t had time to get 
mussed up much,” answered Adalaide, “but if 
you are just perishing to be useful, straighten 
out my work-basket ; that is positively the most 
hopeless of my possessions. — How goes the 
practising, Grace ! ” she added, turning toward 
Grace Houghton, who had established herself in 
the most comfortable chair in the room and was 
preparing to pose gracefully. 

“As well as it ever will, I dare say, Miss 
Percy. I never expect to become a professional 
— at least, not in the musical line, although later 
I may go upon the stage. I have been told that 
I have marked talent, and mamma has no objec- 
tions,” was the complacent reply. 

100 


M iss Poindexter Collapses 

A strange expression flitted across Ada- 
laide’s face, but before she could reply a tap 
came upon the door and one of the maids an- 
nounced : 

“Miss Emerson would like to see Miss 
Houghton, Miss Langford, and Miss Percy in her 
study.” 


101 


CHAPTER IX 


LITTLE MOTHER SINCLAIR 

“What do you suppose she wants?” was 
Grace Langford’s question in rather startled 
tones. 

“ Nothing very dreadful. My conscience is 
clear. — How’s yours, Grace?” asked Grace 
Percy, as she rose to her feet. “But for mercy 
sake let me get some of the evidence of the cob- 
bler off my fingers. — Please pour some water for 
me, Adalaide ; I’m just black.” 

“I don’t know that it makes any difference 
whether my conscience is clear or not, ’’was Grace 
Houghton’s defiant retort. “I shall probably get 
called down for something I’ve never even heard 
about. So come along. Really, I wish there 
could be a school established for teachers where 
they could be put through a course of the same 
sort of thing they put us through. I’ve often 
102 


Li ttle Mother Sinclair 

threatened to run away and go on the stage, and 
it would take very little to make me carry that 
threat into effect. I perfectly detest school.” 

“Don’t forget, Grace, that you are revealing 
your secrets to the enemy,” was Adalaide’s 
laughing rejoinder. 

“Oh, you don’t count. Half the time we call 
you by your first name, and you seem just like 
one of us.” 

“I’m glad of that, for it may enable me to 
help all the more,” was the kindly answer, and 
Adalaide little suspected how great a service she 
would render shallow-brained Grace ere that 
winter ended. 

The girls tapped at Miss Emerson’s door, 
and a pleasant voice called, “Come in.” 

“You wanted us, Miss Emerson? ” asked 
Grace Langford in a rather apprehensive voice. 

“Are you all scared? Now, I’ll wager this 
big apple that you have all been recalling every 
dreadful thing you’ve done for a week,” and 
Miss Emerson laughed gaily as she looked from 
one to the other. 


8 


103 


Three Graces 


“Couldn’t think of a single thing, Miss Emer- 
son,” cried Grace Percy merrily, as she dropped 
upon the rug at Miss Emerson’s feet and looked 
up into her face with Grace’s own look, for 
the girl had grown up in a home where the 
older members of the family were the closest 
friends of the younger and nothing was con- 
cealed. 

“I said my prayers all the way down,” con- 
fessed Grace Langford, her nervousness taking 
flight. 

“And what did you do, curly crown? ” asked 
Miss Emerson, placing her arm about Grace 
Houghton’s waist, for she felt that this girl 
needed her more than any in the school, and yet 
was the hardest to reach. 

“Well, really, Miss Emerson, I believe I 
hardly gave the matter a thought ; I so often get 
a lecture for a mere trifle,” was the somewhat 
uncompromising reply. 

“Do you, dear? ” was all Miss Emerson said, 
but the tone and look which accompanied the 
words caused a slight color to spring to Grace’s 
104 


Li ttle Mother Sinclair 

cheeks as she admitted: “Well, perhaps not so 
often here as in some of the other schools I at- 
tended. Ugh,” with a defiant twitch to her 
shoulders, “ how I hated them ! ” 

The kindly smile never left Miss Emerson’s 
face as she said: 

“But it is something pleasant this time. Have 
any of the girls ever guessed whence came the 
big Hallowe’en cake ? ” 

“No, not one of us. Who did send it, Miss 
Emerson? ” came in a chorus. 

“Grace’s rescuer.” 

“What! Mrs. Sinclair?” exclaimed Grace. 
“And she never hinted at it while I was there. 
How did she happen to do it ? ” 

“She asked me if she might make one for you 
and send it. Of course, I said 6 Yes,’ and your 
cake was a fine one, wasn’t it ? And now she has 
sent a little note asking me to let ten girls come 
over for afternoon tea at four and remain with 
her until six ” 

“Are we three of the ten? ” burst in Grace 
Langford. 


105 


Three Graces 


“That depends,” replied Miss Emerson, 
laughing. 

“How? ” 

“What? ” 

“I don’t understand,” were three exclama- 
tions. 

“I am to select them from the white list. If 
reports have been satisfactory during the week 
the girls are eligible and a good time is assured 
them. How about these three cases ? ” And Miss 
Emerson paused for the answers. 

“I’m in luck ! ” cried Grace Percy. 

“Mine — well, seems like I can’t get through 
without just one little slump down in my week’s 
baking,” was Grace Langford’s comical answer. 

“Why, how could I be expected to come out 
without a mark? ” asked Grace Houghton. 

“Providing it was not an indelible one, it 
might be overlooked, Grace,” was the gentle 
reply. 

Grace shrugged her shoulders. 

“I have chosen my three Graces and seven 
other girls. You can easily slip through the 
106 


Little Mother Sinclair 

grounds without a very severe ducking, and I 
hope you will all enjoy yourselves immensely,” 
was all Miss Emerson said. 

An hour later ten girls were removing their 
wraps and placing umbrellas in the hall stand, 
while Ellen, arrayed in a crisp black alpaca and 
white apron, placed rubbers in a line for reclaim- 
ing. Mrs. Sinclair, in a pretty house gown, 
stood in the doorway of her big sitting-room to 
greet them. It was a cheerful room, with a 
great bay-window with a broad window-seat 
piled high with pretty cushions, and three other 
windows which gave no lack of light. A hand- 
some rug lay upon the polished floor, brass and- 
irons shone in the big fireplace, with great logs 
snapping and blazing upon them, dainty mus- 
lin curtains were draped at the windows, and 
pretty water-colors and etchings adorned the 
walls. Inviting chairs or hassocks stood all 
about, and drawn close to the big fur rug which 
lay upon the floor in front of the fireplace was a 
tempting tea-table, the shining brass samovar 
emitting a little cloud of steam and the eleven 
107 


Three Graces 


pretty cups and saucers almost begging one to 
drink from them. Two or three plates held 
fancy crackers, little cakes with different colored 
icings, and cakes of sweet chocolate. Anything 
more inviting to ten eternally hungry, semi- 
homesick schoolgirls than that cheery room and 
dainty tea-table upon a dismal, rainy day it 
would have been difficult to imagine, and well 
Mrs. Sinclair knew the meaning of homelike 
surroundings. 

“Oh, how sweet!” “Weren’t you good to 
send for us ! ” and kindred exclamations burst 
from the girls as they entered. 

“Aren’t you all good to come and brighten up 
an old lady whose only girlie has run away and 
left her forlorn? ” was the merry response, as 
slipping an arm about two of the girls, she led 
them toward the fireplace. “Now, what shall it 
be ? Shall I read aloud while some of you make 
tea, or would you prefer to all chat sociably? ” 
asked Mrs. Sinclair, as she settled herself in an 
easy chair before the fire. 

“Oh, please read to us! ” “Which one shall 
108 


Little Mother Sinclair 

make the tea? ” “Are we to use all these sweet 
cups ? ” asked a chorus of voices. 

“Yes, everything here is for use. — Grace 
Percy, will you make the tea while some of the 
others serve it? We have been acquainted the 
longest, you know. — And what shall I read? 
Have you a choice ? ” 

“Oh, would you mind reading something of 
your own? Miss Emerson said that you were 
writing a hoarding-school story, and we’re just 
wild to hear it. May we? ” 

“You are my guests, and your wishes are my 
law,” answered Mrs. Sinclair, with a smile which 
won the girls completely. 

“Oh, please let me sit right here on the rug,” 
cried Grace Langford. “Seems like I’d gone 
straight hack to South Carolina and Mammy 
had built up the log fire in our library.” 

“This is just a piece of home transplanted,” 
said Grace Percy, as she settled herself upon the 
low chair beside the tea-table and began deftly 
making the tea. “We have tea every afternoon 
at home.” 


109 


Three Graces 


Grace Houghton had said very little, hut her 
sharp eyes had seen every detail, and she little 
realized what a starved, hungry look had crept 
into them, for in Grace’s home there was no dear 
old negro “Mammy ” to look to her “chile’s ” 
comfort, and when Mrs. Houghton held recep- 
tions and served tea, it was a function, conducted 
by expensive caterers with lavish display, and 
Grace was kept in the background, for Mrs. 
Houghton was not anxious to have her friends 
learn that she had a handsome sixteen-year-old 
daughter who promised to outshine her erelong. 

Mrs. Sinclair was quick to note the look and 
to respond to it with all the warmth born of 
mother-love. 

“Come here, dear, and cuddle down on the 
rug at my feet, so that while I read I may stroke 
that curly hair, and then I shall think that I 
have my own girlie with me, for she always sat 
at my feet when I read to her,” she said, draw- 
ing her skirts aside to make room for Grace. 

The girl gave a quick, surprised look at Mrs. 
Sinclair, but made no comment. Then dropping 
110 


Little Mother Sinclair 

upon the rug, rested her head against her 
friend’s knees. Mrs. Sinclair took her manu- 
script from a near-by table and began to read, 
meanwhile gently stroking the soft hair. The 
other girls passed the tea, and presently all were 
sipping and eagerly listening. 

It was a very cozy, homelike picture: The 
motherly woman seated before the blazing logs 
reading aloud to ten girls, all in the first sweet 
flush of young womanhood, than which nothing 
in this world is lovelier. Their faces were alight 
with eager interest, and all were enjoying their 
dainty little repast as only girls accustomed 
week in and week out to the regular routine of 
boarding-school life and boarding-school fare, 
even though it be as excellent as any ever pro- 
vided, can enjoy a little novelty. Outside the 
wind blew the rain in gusts against the win- 
dow-panes, thereby emphasizing the cheeriness 
within. 

Mrs. Sinclair had begun at the very begin- 
ning of her story, thinking to finish the succeed- 
ing chapters at another reading, and as one in- 
111 


Three Graces 


cident after another was read off suppressed 
murmurs of surprise came from first one girl 
and then another, until at last Florence Colt 
burst out: 

“ Why it’s us, isn’t it, Mrs. Sinclair? It’s just 
the very things that have happened at Laurel 
Hill!” 

“Do they ring true? ” asked Mrs. Sinclair, 
removing her glasses to smile upon ten eager 
faces looking into her own. 

“Are we really to be in the story? ” asked 
Grace Percy. 

“Won’t Miss Emerson mind? ” asked an- 
other girl. 

“Not a mite. She knows. So 

“ ‘If there’s a hole in aw your coats, 

I rede ye tent it: 

A chiel’s amang ye takin’ notes, 

And, faith, she'll prent it,’” 

quoted Mrs. Sinclair, laughing heartily at the 
various expressions which came over the girls’ 
faces. 

“Honey,” said Grace Langford, wagging her 
112 


Little Mother Sinclair 

head solemnly at Grace Percy, “we all had just 
better mind what we’re about, do you know that? 
— But don’t make us very dreadful, will you, Mrs. 
Sinclair? ” 

It is impossible to give the manner and the 
tone in which the words were spoken, for only 
those who are familiar with the daughters of our 
beautiful Southland can appreciate it. The 
girPs soft olive skin, the delicate pink of her 
cheeks veiled through, the great brown eyes soft 
and limpid as an Alderney bossie’s, the white, 
even teeth and red lips of the pretty mouth, the 
almost blue-black wavy hair, were irresistible. 
Her contrast to the brilliantly colored English 
girl beside her only accentuated both types. 

“How could I? ” asked Mrs. Sinclair, reach- 
ing over to stroke the velvety cheeks. “Now let 
us have a little intermission while I tell you girls 
something.” 


113 


CHAPTER X 


A COMPACT 

They gathered closer and closer about her, 
some slipping from the chairs upon which they 
had been sitting to snuggle down at her side, 
some leaning over the back of her chair, and 
others dropping upon their knees on the rug be- 
fore her. All sense of the presence of an older 
woman among them seemed lost, and they were 
just eager children awaiting the telling of a 
“truly-true ” story. And, oh, how she enjoyed 
it ! How it brought hack to her the hours when 
her own little daughter used to snuggle beside 
her while they read, talked, or built air-castles, 
some of which had developed into very substan- 
tial abodes, after all. 

“When,” began Mrs. Sinclair, “I found that 
I had to write a story of boarding-school life I 
resolved that it should be a true one, and began 
114 


A Compact 


turning over in my mind how best to make sure 
of its being so. My girlie had never been to 
one, because I couldn’t spare her long enough,” 
and here Mrs. Sinclair gave a little nod to em- 
phasize her words, at the same time patting a 
hand which had crept into her own — so irresisti- 
ble is mother sympathy. “ And then I happened 
to think of my old friend Miss Emerson and 
Laurel Hill School, and I 6 spoke right out in 
meetin’ ’ ” 

“Did you, really? ” interrupted one girl more 
noted for her literal acceptance of a statement 
than her imaginative powers. 

Mrs. Sinclair’s expression was funny enough 
as she answered: 

“It was a Quaker meeting that time, I guess, 
and only one was present.” 

“Would you mind telling me who it was? ” 
for practical Ruth was still groping in the dark, 
although the other girls’ eyes had begun to 
twinkle. 

“Eleanor Bond Sinclair.” 

“Oh! Just you? Then it wasn’t really a 
115 


Three Graces 


Quaker meeting, was it ! ” But a gale of laugh- 
ter drowned her words. 

“Oh-o ! ” And at last Ruth comprehended. 

When the laughter at last subsided Mrs. Sin- 
clair resumed. 

“ Yes, I resolved to see a boarding-school, and 
what finer plan than to come straight here to 
live where my own girlie can come from Bryn 
Mawr every Saturday to spend Sunday with her 
little mother! So here I am, with dozens of girls 
to cuddle to pay up for the one I must lend to 
some one else for five days out of seven, a whole 
boarding-school to watch, and ten girls to visit 
me every Friday afternoon and tell me all the 
funny things that have happened during the 
week. Not the funny ones alone, but all that 
goes to make up the round of their school life, 
and out of it we will see what we can evolve that 
may prove interesting, amusing, helpful, or en- 
couraging to other girls. Shall it be a compact, 
girls ! And shall we all see what will come of it 
at the end of the year! Remember, nothing is 
too -trivial. Jot down the things as they happen, 
116 


A Compact 


and bring them to the editor in chief, and I shall 
be surprised if onr united efforts will not bring 
about something worth while.” 

“Oh, what fun!” “May we truly tell all 
that happens, and will you write it just as we 
tell it?” “Won’t it seem funny to know that 
we’re all going into a story? ” “Even the horrid 
things ? ” were the questions which rattled about 
Mrs. Sinclair’s ears. 

“I hope it will afford you all some amuse- 
ment. Yes, tell me all that happens. I shall 
try to give it just as you give it to me. I am 
sure you will do honor to the story. We will 
try to transform the ‘ horrid things ’ to pleas- 
ant ones, Katharine,” were the answers to the 
volley. 

But, alas ! some of the “horrid things ” came 
only too soon, and required careful handling to 
bring about the desired transformation. 

All too soon six chimed out from the pretty 
little clock on the mantel-shelf, and the girls 
sprang to their feet to cry: “Oh, that clock must 
be fast ! Where have two hours gone to ? ” 

117 


Three Graces 

“You pay me a very pretty compliment, 
girls,” said Mrs. Sinclair, “but I’m afraid that 
I must send you borne in time to dress for dinner 
notwithstanding.” And she rose to her feet to 
bid them good-by. 

“Oh, we may come again! You will ask us 
next week! We’ve had the loveliest time, and 
you were just a dear to invite us,” were some of 
the spontaneous leavetakings, so little does it 
require to bring joy to sixteen years. 

“All must depend upon the week’s reports, 
Miss Emerson says,” replied Mrs. Sinclair. 

“Then I don’t see how I happened to be in- 
cluded this time,” was Grace Houghton’s rather 
bitter remark, which, despite her outward indif- 
ference to criticism and censure, revealed to the 
mother before her a girl’s sore heart, and slip- 
ping her arm about her, Mrs. Sinclair contrived 
that she should detain her just long enough to 
whisper as the other girls made their exit amid 
much good-natured laughter and nonsense : 

“Sometimes a helpful, encouraging word or 
deed may compass that which volumes of cen- 
118 


A Compact 


sure and hours of disciplining will never bring 
to pass, dear. Come again.” 

“I mean to. Good-by. I don’t know why I 
feel so happy.” 

Mrs. Sinclair did. 

It need hardly be recorded that Friday soon 
grew to be looked upon as the red-letter day of 
the week, and the two hours to be spent with 
Mrs. Sinclair as a pleasure to be eagerly antici- 
pated. 

November was now well advanced, and in an- 
other week the Thanksgiving holiday would 
carry most of the girls to their homes, although 
some lived at such a distance that their home- 
going was restricted to the long Christmas and 
Easter vacations. Just at this time a letter and 
a small box came to Grace Houghton from her 
mother, and a glimpse into the former will tell 
all that need be told of that mother. 

“ 1492 Street. 

“My Dear Grace : Now, I dare say there will 
be a scene, but do try to be reasonable, for I sim- 
ply can not do differently under the circum- 
9 119 


Three Graces 

stances. With papa still abroad, it would be 
absurd for me to keep open bouse just for our- 
selves, and go to the trouble of serving a dinner 
for a dozen people who don’t care one straw for 
me; for, of course, if I should entertain on 
Thanksgiving Day I would have to invite some- 
body. We alone would bore each other to ex- 
tinction. 

“When you are out it will be different, but 
while just a schoolgirl I simply can’t introduce 
you to my friends. 

“So I have decided to accept Mrs. Lemon- 
tain’s invitation for her bouse party at Tuxedo, 
and shall shut up the bouse for the entire week. 

“I have no doubt that you will have a much 
better time at the school anyway, if you will only 
look at it in that light. 

“Enclosed you will find my check for ten dol- 
lars, and I am also sending you the little pin you 

so much admired at ’s. Be a good girl and 

at Christmas you may surely come home. 

“Your affectionate 

“Mother.” 

120 


A Compact 


What a mockery in both words ! How keen 
the dart, how hitter the results of that thought- 
lessly written letter ! 

Could this selfish woman have seen her 
child’s face as that letter was read let us hope 
that some spark of genuine maternal love and 
unselfishness might have been fired. 

Crash! And down behind the couch went 
letter, box and all, causing Florence Colt, her 
roommate, to drop the hook she was reading 
and spring to her feet. 

“ Mercy on us! What has happened? ” 

“None of your business ! ” And Grace Hough- 
ton flung herself out of the room in a perfect 
whirlwind of ungoverned passion. 

“ Hateful ! Hateful ! Selfish ! Contempti- 
ble ! ” she hissed between her tightly clenched 
teeth. “And it’s all because she does not want 
me to grow up and come out. It will make her 
seem old. And perhaps deprive her of some of 
the attention she is so fond of receiving, but 
she had better take care, for I’ll do it. See if I 
don’t ! I am handsome ; I know that, anyway,” 
121 


Three Graces 

and a dangerous light came into the girl’s eyes 
as she paused to look at her reflection in the mir- 
ror at the end of the hall. It was the face of a 
little fury reflected there. Then on she rushed 
to the deserted music-room, for on Wednesday 
afternoon Adalaide was free, and always took 
the opportunity to go into Philadelphia to study 
with Professor 0 . 

Whirling across the room, she brushed aside 
the heavy curtains which hung across the deep 
window-seat — the very one which had concealed 
Miss Emerson the day she had made school pos- 
sible for Grace Percy — pulled the curtains to- 
gether behind her, hurled the pillows in a pile at 
one end of the seat, and flung herself upon them. 

She did not weep. Tears were not for one in 
her frame of mind. With head buried in the 
cushions, hands tightly clenched, she lay there 
nearly strangled by the dry, gasping sobs which 
came from her lips. More than an hour passed 
unnoted, and still the tempest raged, then a soft, 
cool hand was laid upon her head and a sweet 
voice said: 


122 


A Compact 


“Grace, dear, can I help you? ” 

The girl sat up with a hound to find Ada- 
laide’s beautiful, gentle face bending over her. 
She had entered without being heard, and still 
wore her outdoor garments. A happy light 
shone in her eyes, for her lesson had been a de- 
lightful one, and Professor 0 had praised 

her work and encouraged her by his kind words. 

But Grace was in no mood to be propitiated. 
She had come there to fight out her battle alone, 
and resented the presence of any one else. Draw- 
ing back from Adalaide, she said in a tone bitter 
enough to have come from lips of one whose faith 
in human nature has received many a severe 
shock : 

“You do well to intrude upon my privacy, 
Miss Percy. There are times when one wishes 
to be alone.” 

“I did not mean to intrude upon you, dear. I 
have just returned from town, and found you 
here by chance. But I long to do something to 
help you if you are in trouble. May I? ” 

“No. You may not! When I desire conso- 
123 


Three Graces 


lation I shall seek it from some one besides my 
music-teaclier! ” And insane with anger, she 
rose to her feet, flung aside the hand resting 
upon her shoulder, and rushed from the room. 

Adalaide’s face flushed for a moment, and 
then the flush was replaced by a pitying look, as 
she said softly under her breath : 

“Yes, dear, a 4 music-teacher/ but filling the 
position, oh, so gladly, and daily thanking God 
for the talent which provides so much for my 
dear ones.” 

When Grace reached her room Florence had 
left it. Going to the couch, she reached behind 
it, picked up the letter and the box, snatched the 
check from the envelope, crushed it into her 
purse, and then, walking over to the grate, de- 
liberately laid the letter upon the glowing coals. 
Ah, mother, your altar might have been so dif- 
ferent ! 

Tearing open the box, she took from it a 
beautiful stick-pin, a four-leaf clover, with a lit- 
tle diamond sparkling in the center. But not a 
spark of pleasure came into the girl’s face, for 
124 















“Miss Houghton, be good enough to go to your room. 


99 



A Compact 


neither diamond pins nor ten-dollar bills can 
soothe an injured heart and an outraged spirit, 
and Grace had never been taught “ charity for 
all.” As she stood looking at the pretty orna- 
ment, Grace Percy came running in, and with 
never a thought for her companion’s disturbed 
frame of mind, cried: 

“ Oh, how lovely ! When did you get it 1 Who 
sent it 1 May I see it 1 ” 

“My lady mother. Stick it on the cushion 
when you’ve done with it,” and turning toward 
the closet, she caught up her golf cape, flung it 
about her shoulders, and left the room. 

Grace gave a half-startled look at her, hut 
her moods were now pretty well understood by 
the girls, and she gave the matter no further 
thought. When she had admired the pin she 
stuck it upon the cushion as requested, and went 
back to her room. 

Two hours later they were taking their seats 
at dinner when Grace Houghton sailed into the 
room, her face white with anger, and demanded, 
regardless of the others present : 

125 


Three Graces 

“ Grace, what did you do with my pin? ” 

“ Stuck it just where you told me to — on the 
cushion,” was the prompt reply. 

“ You didn’t, or it would be there now.” 

“Why, yes, I did,” was the good-natured re- 
ply, for she was not yet aware of the rudeness of 
the speech. 

“If you had, it would be there now ; but I can 
not find it, and you were the last in the room. 
This is what comes of being in a school where 
charity pupils are received.” 

Grace turned scarlet. 

“Miss Houghton,” said Miss Emerson, in a 
voice the girls rarely heard, “be good enough to 
go to your room.” 


126 


I 


CHAPTER XI 

CONFIDENCES 

“Is she really? ” 

“I don’t believe it.” 

“How did Grace find it out if she is, any 
way? ” 

“Find it out ! Is there anything she isn’t ca- 
pable of finding out, or doing, if she wants to? 
Upon my word, I never saw such a girl. There 
isn’t a single thing of mine that she hasn’t med- 
dled with, and if I even point at her things there 
is a fuss right off. Oh, dear, I do wish I didn’t 
have to room with her! I never did grow 
fond of her, and after this I don’t want to 
see her again,” protested Florence Colt with 
spirit. 

“I’d just like to slap her! I shorely would! ” 
cried Grace Langford, lapsing even more strong- 
ly than usual into her Southern idiom and accent 
127 


Three Graces 


in her righteous indignation. “ Why, only think, 
girls,” she continued, “how nice every one has 
been to her, and especially Grace and Miss 
Percy. Of course, Miss Percy is right nice to 
all of us, hut Grace Houghton has just taken on 
awfully at times, and plagued Miss Percy almost 
to death, yet she has never lost patience with 
her.” 

“I know it ! Do you remember the day Grace 
and I had that duet to practise ? She made such 
a mess of it,” said another girl. 

Dinner was just ended and a number of the 
girls were gathered in the library discussing the 
recent scene in the dining-room, and all united 
in condemning Grace Houghton, and sympathiz- 
ing with Grace Percy. 

“Charity pupil! How dare she speak that 
way of Grace Percy ! She is no more a charity 
pupil than / am ! But suppose she was ? Sup- 
pose Miss Emerson chose to educate her? That 
doesn’t make her any less a lady, does it? I 
wonder that girl hasn’t said something rude to 
Miss Percy as well; she is perfectly capable of 
128 


Confidences 


it, and I believe she has more than once,” cried 
Grace Langford. 

“Where are they, anyway? I haven’t seen 
them since we left the dining-room,” asked Flor- 
ence. 

“ They went np-stairs right after dinner, and 
a moment later Miss Emerson followed them,” 
replied another girl. 

“I hope Grace Houghton will catch it ! ” cried 
a new sympathizer. 

“I’m going up to our room to see if Grace or 
Miss Percy are there,” announced Grace Lang- 
ford. “Poor little soul” (Grace Percy was a 
head taller than Grace Langford), “I don’t mean 
to let her feel that anything that crosspatch 
could say would have any influence with me, 
anyway.” And away she hurried. 

Meantime Grace and Adalaide were in the lat- 
ter’s room, Adalaide doing her best to comfort 
this younger sister, whom she loved so dearly. 

“Why need she have said such a thing? I 
am sure I never did anything to annoy her, Ada- 
laide,” sobbed Grace. 


129 


Three Graces 

“ Don’t give it a thought, sweetheart. It 
really is not worth feeling so badly about. What 
pin was she speaking about, anyway? ” 

“One her mother had just sent to her, and it 
was a perfect little beauty, too. After I’d looked 
at it I stuck it on her cushion, just as she asked 
me to, and then went right to you to practise, and 
I have not seen it since. What can the girls 
think? ” And poor Grace sobbed afresh. 

Just then a tap came upon the door, and 
Grace Langford’s voice asked, “Please, may I 
come in? ” 

“Come,” called Adalaide. 

Grace entered and took in the situation at a 
glance. Running across the room, she dropped 
upon her knees beside the couch upon which the 
girls were sitting, and clasping her arms about 
Grace, said as no one but Grace Langford could 
say it : 

“Honey! There, honey, don’t cry that-a- 
way. Just put your head on your old Grace’s 
shoulder and let her comfort you. Poor baby! 
Don’t mind what that cross thing said, for, of 
130 


Confidences 

course , no one believes her, and all the girls are 
right sorry for yon ; indeed, they are.” 

It was all such a perfect echo of her old 
Mammy’s words, and snch a reproduction of 
her old Mammy’s actions, that Adalaide could 
not help smiling, grieved as she felt. 

“I know that I oughtn’t to mind one hit,” an- 
swered Grace between her sobs, “but it was so 
sudden that I felt as though some one had struck 
me in the face. Of course, I know I haven’t as 
much as the other girls have, and that I could not 
be here at all if it were not for Adalaide, but I 
certainly am not a charity pupil, when she works 
as hard as she does to give me my education and 
help us all. And as far as that miserable pin is 
concerned, I haven’t the faintest idea what be- 
came of it, although I am sorry if it is really 
lost.” 

“What put her into such a passion! ” inter- 
rupted Adalaide. 

“Nobody knows. Florence says she got a 
letter and a little box by the noon mail, and that 
she has been in a wild rage ever since.” 

131 


Three Graces 

“Poor child ! I wonder if I can not do some- 
thing for her ? ” 

“You, Miss Percy, when she has just openly 
insulted Grace ! ” 

Adalaide smiled as she answered : 

“I’m afraid that she is more to be pitied than 
my little charity pupil here, for I doubt if she has 
ever been taught to entertain for her fellow 
beings even a hint of that blessed virtue. Stay 
here and comfort Grace, dearie, while I go and 
see what may be done for the third member of 
the trio,” and stooping down, Adalaide kissed 
both girls and left the room, all resentment for- 
gotten in her desire to help others. 

“Well, I couldn’t do it!” was Grace Lang- 
ford’s exclamation. 

“It’s just exactly like her! ” cried Grace. 
“There never was such a girl as Adalaide, 
never! You don’t begin to know her. Why, 
Grace, you could never guess what that girl has 
done for us all, and I couldn’t begin to tell you. 
After papa failed in business and his health 
broke down in consequence she just took every- 
132 


Confidences 


thing right in her own hands, and worked — oh, 
I can’t tell yon all she did ! ” And Grace’s sobs 
ceased and her face glowed, for Adalaide was 
her idol. 

Grace Langford still sat beside her with her 
arm about her friend’s waist, one hand hold- 
ing Grace’s, and friendship’s touch was won- 
derfully soothing. 

“Tell me all about your home, if you don’t 
mind, honey. I’d love to know,” she said sym- 
pathetically. 

Grace needed no urging, for she had grown 
to love this Southern girl very dearly, and to 
trust her as well. Words were a relief to her 
overburdened heart, and she launched forth 
most eloquently, telling her friend of their 

former home in B , of her father’s steadfast 

hold upon the right, even though he knew that 
by so doing he would probably impoverish his 
family, and how, when disaster came, he had 
sacrificed his home, even though others far more 
responsible than himself were now living in lux- 
ury, while the family were struggling for the 
133 


Three Graces 

education which was their right by birth, and 
often for necessities as well. 

“Who are they, dear? ” asked Grace, for she 
had a keen, logical brain, and wished to get at 
the bottom of things. 

“I don’t believe papa would like me to tell 
their names, for they are well-known men, hut 
the company was called ‘ The United Keystone 
Mining Company.’ ” 

“Didn’t he ever try to find out about things, 
and get hack what he lost? Seems like it’s all 
wrong for him to just he done right out of 
everything, and never take a step,” persisted 
Grace. 

“He began proceedings to recover something, 
hut was taken ill soon after, and has never been 
equal to doing anything since. Poor Daddykins ! 
He was frightfully ill, and mamma would not 
hear of his doing anything more. She said that 
she would keep him and let all else go. Then 
Adalaide helped, and now Isabel is doing nicely, 
and Pm the only one who doesn’t earn her salt. 
Why, only summer before last, when papa was 
134 


Confidences 


so poorly after an operation which had been 
necessary during the winter, that dear girl took 
every penny she had saved for lessons and rent- 
ed a little cottage at the seashore, so that he 
might have a change. She hadn’t the least idea 
that her salary would be increased, hut we all 
believe that Miss Emerson did it because she 
thought so much of Adalaide’s unselfishness. 
But just wait ! If I pass my exams, for college 
this spring it won’t be many years before I’ll 
help, I can tell you ! ” And Grace’s eyes spark- 
led at the thought. 

“ Never you mind; you will do as much as 
any one yet, see if you don’t,” was the encoura- 
ging assurance. “But Adalaide’s just a darling, 
and I don’t wonder you all love her. Wish I 
was good for something besides cuddling peo- 
ple when they feel low in their minds, and I’d 
do something to help too.” 

“You are helping right now,” cried Grace, 
impulsively clasping her arms about her friend 
and giving her a regular schoolgirl hug. 
“You’re a dear, and have helped me scare away 
10 135 


Three Graces 

the dolefuls, and if that’s not help, I’d like to 
know what is.” 

Grace Langford responded warmly to the 
caress, but giving her pretty head a solemn wag, 
added : 

“Yes, that’s all very well so far as it goes, 
but I want to do something worth while , and I 
will , too, see if I don’t, though I’m all in the dark 
now as to how it is to be done. But, come, let’s 
go down-stairs with the others and see what’s 
doing. Here, wash your face with this cool, 
fresh water, and then you’ll feel all made over 
new.” And catching up the pitcher, she poured 
some water into Adalaide’s basin. 

The girls had been talking for more than an 
hour, and during that hour stirring events had 
taken place. 

When Grace Houghton’s rudeness courted 
Miss Emerson’s well-merited reproof, that 
young lady spun around upon her heel and 
flew out of the room perfectly insane with rage. 
Sweeping into her room, she stormed about like 
a little fury, until her eyes fell upon her purse, 
136 


Confidences 


when she stopped short, and a defiant look 
came over her face. Ten minutes later she had 
crammed into it every penny she possessed, put 
several articles of wearing apparel into her suit- 
case, lowered it from the window with a stout 
piece of twine, scrambled into her outdoor gar- 
ments, and then, catching up her purse, gloves, 
and some matches, went swiftly but silently out 
of the room and down the deserted corridor to 
the back stairs. 

Once upon the back porch she was safe from 
observation, and stepping out into the night she 
made her way through the pitchy darkness to 
the part of the grounds upon which her window 
opened. Below her window the shrubs and vines 
grew in a thick tangle, but laying purse and 
gloves upon the ground, she lighted a match and 
began to make her way through them to the 
spot where she had lowered the case. She had 
almost reached it when something upon the 
ground flashed back the light of the blazing 
match, and there lay the lost pin just where it 
had fallen when she had opened her window to 
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Three Graces 


look out just before dressing for dinner, for her 
dressing-table stood close to it, and in reaching 
over, the lace upon her sleeve had caught upon 
the clover-leaf, and, all unknown to Grace, it had 
been jerked out into space when she threw back 
the window-blind. A look of surprise passed 
over her face, but murmuring, “Well, it wasn’t 
my fault, anyway,” she caught up the pin, and 
then grasping the suit-case, backed out of the 
bushes. 

Before the dinner hour at Laurel Hill had 
ended Grace Houghton was on her way to New 
York, and when Miss Emerson went to her room 
there was no trace of the girl to be found. At 
first no serious alarm was felt, but when nine 
o’clock came, and no sign of her could be dis- 
covered, Miss Emerson grew alarmed, and 
prompt steps were taken. 


138 


CHAPTER XII 


PIES AND PERPLEXITIES 

Under existing circumstances Thanksgiv- 
ing bade fair to be anything but a day of rejoi- 
cing for poor Miss Emerson, for no trace of the 
missing Grace could be discovered. It was as 
though the earth had opened and swallowed her 
up bodily. Inquiry at the railway-station failed 
to elicit any information regarding the run- 
away, and no clue could be found in Philadel- 
phia. Miss Emerson hesitated to raise a general 
hue and cry, and disliked to telegraph to Mrs. 
Houghton until all other resources had been ex- 
hausted, and consequently was forced to pos- 
sess her soul in as much peace as she could com- 
mand for the time being. 

Two whole days had now passed without 
bringing anything to pass, and Miss Emerson 
was upon the point of sending the telegram. 
139 


Three Graces 


She sat at her desk late Saturday afternoon, 
her weary head propped upon her hands, when 
Adalaide entered. 

“Poor worried friend,” she said, placing her 
arms about Miss Emerson and drawing the 
tired head to her shoulder, “you are just giving 
out under this anxiety, but I believe I have dis- 
covered a clue by the merest accident. The girls 
have been in my room talking over this miser- 
able affair, and, thinking that they might uncon- 
sciously let drop a word which would serve as a 
hint to act upon, I encouraged their talk, and I 
find that my intuitions were correct.” 

“Really? ” 

“Yes. Grace says that this madcap child 
has talked of nothing but the stage ever since 
she came here, and has repeatedly announced 
her firm intention of becoming an actress the 
very moment she leaves school. To add to this 
resolution, her mother assures her that she has 
no objection to her so doing. Now what can you 
expect from such a girl? Poor child, she is 
more to be pitied than condemned, for she is like 
140 


Pies and Perplexities 

a fine little steam-yacht running under full head- 
way with no one at the helm, and will dash upon 
reefs sooner or later if some one does not take 
the wheel. Now listen to my plan, and don’t say 
me ‘ nay 9 whatever you do, for I believe that I 
can help in this case. If Grace gets an inkling 
of what we mean to do we might as well quit 
right off, for she is too high-spirited to be easily 
brought under control. Let me take the seven 
o’clock train to New York this evening, for I am 
convinced that she has gone there, and remain 
over Sunday with mamma, or longer if neces- 
sary; I can be spared here if I must be, and 
early Monday morning I’ll set about my hunt. 
On Sunday mamma and I will inquire at some 
of the hotels, for I really believe the girl’s au- 
dacity to be boundless, and it is quite possible 
that she has gone to the Savoy or the Waldorf, 
or any other expensive abode which may have 
taken her fancy if she could manage in any way 
to get in. Florence says that she is sure she 
had at least twenty-five dollars in her purse, for 
her mother had just sent her ten dollars, and 
141 


Three Graces 

not long before her father had sent her the same 
amount from abroad. Then there was her usual 
month’s allowance, from which she had used 
very little.” 

“Oh,” broke in Miss Emerson, “why will 
parents be so short-sighted! That is one of the 
most difficult questions I have to deal with; 
these rich girls are my greatest trials.” 

They talked for more than an hour, but at 
length Miss Emerson gave her consent, and two 
hours later Adalaide was speeding toward New 
York. 

While she was having experiences in that big 
city, strange things were taking place at Laurel 
Hill. But we must go back to Daniel Morford 
and his eccentricities, for a stranger combina- 
tion of uncouthness, downright honesty, prac- 
tical common sense, kind-heartedness, and tender 
chivalry toward women and children it would 
have been difficult to find. Shrewd and clear- 
headed in his business dealings and in the pro- 
fession which he had chosen, he gave promise 
of becoming a brilliant lawyer, but had much to 
142 


Pies and Perplexities 

overcome before be could ever become a bright 
and shining light in the social world, with its 
petty subterfuges and shallow artifices. Indeed, 
conventionalities did not exist for the man, and 
he saw no reason for not doing and saying 
exactly what he thought, providing it neither 
harmed nor grieved any one. Those who knew 
him well valued him for his sterling qualities. 

While events were transpiring at Laurel Hill 
matters were also moving in Trenton. Daniel 
Morford’s trip to Lancaster in the interests of 
the firm employing him had been fraught with 
some surprising results even to them. Some of 
their clients who were concerned in mining inter- 
ests in that region had failed to realize their 
expectations, and having invested large sums 
of money, wished to know why their realizations 
fell so far short of their expectations, and set 
about learning with all possible speed. Suspi- 
cion pointed to certain individuals who for some 
time had been laying up golden store for them- 
selves, to judge by their manner of living and 
many other suggestive “straws,” and those 
143 


Three Graces 


whose dollars had gone into the mine and its 
development felt that in the proper course of 
things a certain number should come out again ; 
however, just where to lay the blame that they 
did not, was a nice, hair-splitting undertaking. 
To appear openly in the matter themselves 
would instantly have aroused suspicions, and 
this Mr. Robinson wished of all things to avoid. 
Feeling sure that no living being would be less 
liable to excite it than Daniel Morford, with 
his guileless, open countenance and wholly 
unsophisticated manners, he retained Smith & 
Brown as his counselors, and suggested that his 
protege be sent to Lancaster. The trip was a 
success in every way, for Morford promptly 
took advantage of his country training, and 
for the time being seemed to know even less 
of conventionalities than he really did. 

Mr. Bulcher, the superintendent of the mi- 
ning company, felt that he had scored a point 
with the “spring goslin he had to cook,” to use 
his own words, when he managed to draw him 
into a business deal which was far more liable 
144 


Pies and Perplexities 

to put a golden lining in his own pockets than 
in Daniel Morford’s, notwithstanding the bril- 
liant returns he assured him would soon be his. 
But this was exactly the point the “spring gos- 
lin ” wished to gain, and when he returned to 
Trenton he carried in his pocketbook enough 
proof to start a pretty lively earthquake in that 
mining district. However, one or two points 
needed strengthening, but just where to find the 
props was puzzling Daniel Morford’s brain. 
That he was to stumble upon them in a most un- 
looked-for corner of the world was still to be 
shown. 

“Sing teedle-tum! Teedle-tum, tum-TUM! 
Come on, Sally ; they’re all ter hum ! ” sang a 
deep barytone voice, as its owner stamped up 
the three steps of a neat back porch, where a 
couple of wash-tubs stood bottomside up upon 
a washing-bench, a broom, with the brush part 
carefully turned up, rested against the side of 
the house, and a mop leaned in a corner. A big 
gray cat, in no wise disturbed by the warbling 
six feet above her head, purred in the sunshine, 
145 


Three Graces 

and plump Leghorn biddies clucked contentedly 
just below the steps. 

“ Hello, Jehoshaphat! Trying to sing tenor 
to mel Come on.” And leaning over, the singer 
picked up the cat and sat it upon his shoulder, 
where it purred like a galvanic battery. Then 
the big man opened the door and entered the 
snug kitchen. Everything in it, from the row 
of shining milk-pans hanging upon their nails 
over the stove to the little snowy muslin cur- 
tains at the windows, the spotless oilcloth 
upon the floor, and the brightly polished 
stove, betokened thrift and scrupulous neat- 
ness. 

A savory odor filled the air as a small 
woman, about fifty years of age, opened the 
oven door to take from it a steaming mince-pie. 
She was as neat as everything about her, and 
was dressed in a dark-blue print gown, a snowy 
apron and collar, with a small white muslin cap 
upon her gray hair. Her features were strongly 
marked, the mouth and chin firm, even though 
the gray eyes had a sort of quizzical expression. 
146 


Pies and Perplexities 

It needed no second glance to tell one lier re- 
lationship to Daniel Morford. 

“Whew! Gosh-me, don’t those pies smell 
prime! Say, mother, yon ain’t a-going to ask 
a feller to wait five whole days before he gets a 
piece of one, are you? Say ‘ No.’ Be good to 
a feller; that’s a good little mammy — do. I’m 
just near about starved right now.” 

“My land! Much good it would do, I reck- 
on, to say you couldn’t have a piece. First thing 
I’d know there wouldn’t be a mite o’ pie left in 
the house. Go ’long with you ! You’re right in 
the way of the oven door, and like enough you’ll 
make me upset one spang on the floor ! ” 

“Say, mammy, how many have you made, 
anyhow? ” 

“How many? ’Nough, I guess, for four big 
strappin’ men. There’s eight! Will that fill 
’em? ” she asked, as she whisked about the 
kitchen. 

“Mammy, will you give me two whole ones 
all for myself? ” And the big boy slipped his 
arm about her. 


147 


Three Graces 

“Now, wliat are you wheedlin’ for, I’d like ter 
know ? ” she asked, pausing to eye him critically. 

“Want to know? ” 

“Yes, of course I want to know what on earth 
you he a-goin’ to do with two o’ them mon- 
strous pies.” 

“ Come here, and I’ll tell you. But you’ve got 
to promise first that you won’t tell. Will you 
promise? ” And without more ado Daniel Mor- 
ford sat down upon one of the kitchen chairs 
and calmly sat his little mother upon his knee, 
holding her there despite her protests that “he’d 
ought to be ashamed of himself for actin’ so ! ” 
That she’d “shake him, sure as the world, if he 
didn’t behave,” and that “every pie in the oven 
would burn coal black ! ” 

“Now just sit still a minute, and I’ll tell you 
all about it. ’Tain’t a mite of use to say you 
won’t, ’cause I’m bigger’n you are. Mammy, 
I’ve got to go off on another trip Monday — out 
to Lancaster again ” 

“And ain’t goin’ to be to home for Thanks- 
givin’ ! ” she broke in. 


148 


Pies and Perplexities 

“Oh, yes, I am, too ! Going to get back ’bout 
midnight, if the trains don’t quit runnin’, and 
get in prime shape to eat my dinner.” 

“My land! How much do you calkerlate to 
hold? ” 

“Let’s wait and see. But I want to take two 
pies along with me. Can I have ’em? Say 
‘ Yes ’ ; that’s a good mammy.” 

“Good land sakes! Take the whole kit and 
hoodie, only do let me get up ! ” 

“That’s a bargain. Trot after your pies.” 
And giving her a sounding kiss upon a cheek 
which, despite its fifty years and its owner’s end- 
less hard work, was still smooth, and still bore a 
faint trace of its girlhood’s rose, he released her. 

The following Monday night, while half a 
dozen girls were making fudge in the Graces’ 
room, a pebble struck against the window-pane 
and caused them all to jump. They would have 
been more than human had they not run to the 
window. 

“Hello, up aloft!” called a voice from out 
of the darkness. 


149 


Three Graces 

“My gracious, who is it? ” exclaimed Grace 
Percy. 

“Daniel Morford. Don’t you know my voice, 
little girl? Got some cord up there? Let down 
a good strong piece.” 

“ Oh, wait a minute ! What fun ! What is it, 
and why don’t you come in? ” 

“Haven’t time. Only had a little while to 
spare, and you can just bet your boots I didn’t 
lose any of it, either. There you are! Haul 
away. Steady, now. Don’t let ’em bump all the 
style out of ’em. I’ll stop for the little mother’s 
towel and plates on my way back. Hope they’ll 
taste good. Had the dickens’ own time gettin’ 
’em here. Good-by.” And rapidly retreating 
footsteps announced his departure. 

Up, up came the burden, bumping and 
pounding against the side of the building, and 
the next moment two enormous mince-pies, 
neatly done up in a big towel, were safely 
landed through the window. 


150 


CHAPTER XIII 


THANKSGIVING 

“ Was there ever anything so perfectly fine ! ” 
cried Florence, bursting into the room where 
Grace Langford, Grace Percy, and four other 
girls whose homes lay many miles from Laurel 
Hill were gathered about the cozy log-fire the 
day before Thanksgiving discussing previous 
Thanksgiving days spent in their own homes, 
and wishing with all their hearts that they might 
be in them this year. 

“What’s fine? What’s happened?” was 
cried in chorus, one or two springing to their 
feet in their eagerness. 

“Miss Emerson called me into her room 
just now and handed me this,” was Florence’s 
exultant announcement as she waved a note in 
her hand, “and she said I was to read it to you 
girls ; so listen : 

11 


151 


Three Graces 


“ ‘ Ivy Cottage, on the Eve of Turkey Day. 

“ 4 Dear Miss Emerson : 

“ 4 Knowing that under the circumstances 
you have more than enough to think about, I am 
writing to ask you to lend me seven of your 
girls for a Thanksgiving frolic. My own girlie 
will, of course, be home for the holiday, although 
I regret to say Mr. Sinclair can not be with us. 
So I have planned a “Keal Old Rafferty Thanks- 
giving Spree,” instead of a “Christmas ” one, and 
want the girls to come to me early this after- 
noon, and remain until Saturday morning. 

“ 4 They are to make believe that they are in 
their own homes, and have a truly jolly time. 
Send them along. 

“ 4 Always affectionately, 

“ 4 Eleanor Bond Sinclair.’ 

44 Now, did you ever hear of anything so per- 
fectly splendid! Fly, every one of you, for Miss 
Emerson says that we may go the very minute 
we are ready.” 

Within half an hour seven girls were hur- 
152 


Thanksgiving 

rying through the grounds toward Ivy Cot- 
tage. 

“Come straight in,” cried a merry voice from 
the doorway as they drew near. “We are all 
as busy as bees, but need more bees to help. 
Fly up-stairs with them, Blossom, and show 
them where they are to tuck themselves away, 
for I don’t often have eight girls on hand at 
once, and you’ll all have to play sardines. Just 
as soon as you have laid your things aside you 
are to come down and help me make cake. Only 
hope I’ve kept my wits about me and ordered 
everything needed. More than likely to find 
that I’ve forgotten the things I most want, and 
we are ‘ ten miles from a lemon.’ ” And rat- 
tling on in the jolly fashion which so soon set 
them all at their ease, Mrs. Sinclair flew about 
arranging this and fixing that in her busy way, 
for, even though she spent a great part of her 
time at her desk, she had not forgotten how to 
keep house well. 

Twenty minutes after their arrival the girls 
were arrayed in big aprons, the entire supply 
153 


Three Graces 


of the household having been pressed into serv- 
ice, and were hard at work. One was beating 
eggs in a big bowl, another stirring icing, an- 
other sorting raisins, and so on, and all in gales 
of laughter. Ellen enjoyed it as much as any 
one, and did not mind the hubbub a particle. 

Elizabeth Sinclair, although a few years 
older than the other girls, entered heart and 
soul into their fun. 

Cake and hilarity were under full headway 
and the coloring about to be added to the icing, 
when a cry of dismay came from Mrs. Sinclair. 

“What did I tell you! Eve forgotten to 
order the coloring! Now, what shall we do! ” 

“Let some of us girls go down to the village 
for some,” cried Grace Percy. “It won’t take 
us long, and will be no end of fun.” 

“Yes, do, Mrs. Sinclair. It’s so jolly to feel 
so free and that we are your girls now. Where 
do we get it! ” said another. 

“Fly and get your things on, then, while I 
rush round and learn if I’ve forgotten the tur- 
key, too. — Ellen, did Spratt send up the chest- 
154 


Thanksgiving 

nuts for his royal highness! I don’t see them 
anywhere.” 

“Faith, no, he did not, the craythur! And 
didn’t he promise me across the heart av him 
that he’d not forgit! Whativer would we do 
widout our gurrils here! ” 

By the time the girls were ready to start 
several needs were discovered, and they had 
quite a little list of commissions. 

“Now, don’t scurry along as though you each 
had as many legs as a centipede,” was Mrs. Sin- 
clair’s admonition as they set out, and she 
waved a good-by to them with a towel from the 
kitchen door. 

“We won’t. We’ll have a gay time,” they 
called hack to her. 

“We’re going to see the sights, Mother Sin- 
clair,” was Grace Percy’s parting call, “and you 
don’t know what you may hear of us next.” 

“Pm not afraid of hearing anything dis- 
tressing about my girls,” was the laughing 
answer. 

Barely had they vanished from sight when 

155 


Three Graces 

the jingle of the front door-bell announced a 
visitor. 

“Aha!” exclaimed Ellen, as she took her 
hands from the dishpan and dried them upon 
the roller- towel. “Now, whoiver is this cornin’ 
to bother the lives out of us, and we this busy — 
bad cess to ’em ! ” 

The girls shouted. 

A moment later she came hurrying back. 
“Now, who do you think it is but that same 
young chap what came flyin’ in on Hallowe’en! 
He says he had an hour to spare, and couldn’t 
be goin’ by widout spakin’ a little whord wid ye. 
I told him ye was up to the eyes of ye in cake, 
and will ye belave he had the impidence to laugh 
right in me face and say he’d like to see how ye 
looked that way ? The saucebox ! ” And Ellen 
gave her head a jerk. 

“Go on with your work, girls, and I’ll trot 
him straight out to help. That fruit-cake needs 
a stronger^arm than ours.” And bubbling over 
with fun, away went Mrs. Sinclair. 

“Coming right in with my regimentals on,” 

156 


Thanksgiving 

she cried. “Too busy with my Thanksgiving 
feast to stop to lay them aside. Glad to see 
you, Mr. Morford.” 

“Well, you’d better believe that I’m down- 
right glad to see you, ma’am. Queer, ain’t it, 
how I sort of find time to stop over here a while 
on each trip? Train don’t leave Philadelphia 
till nine o’clock, so thought I’d run out here for 
an hour, and still have plenty of time to get it. 
Girl said you were up to your eyes in Thanks- 
givin’ cookin’. Left that little mammy of mine 
pie-bakin’ for all she was worth. Begged two 
of ’em to fetch along to the little girls over 
yonder. Guess they liked ’em. No pies like 
mother’s. What you doin’? Can’t I help? 
Just as soon do it as not. Pretty well acquaint- 
ed with a hitclien. Trot me right out and set 
me to work. More like home.” 

“Come on, then. I’ve got my girls all hard 
at it, and if our dinner doesn’t taste better be- 
cause we’ve all had a finger in the pie, I’ll be 
very much mistaken. Here’s Mr. Morford, 
girls, and he’s going to help beat the big cake. 
157 


Three Graces 


Tie that apron about him, Grace, while I fix a 
chair. Hand over the big bowl, Molly; your 
arms are aching this minute. I am sure you 
are acquainted with all my girls, Mr. Morford. 
Had a chance to meet them about three weeks 
ago. There, now, stir away for dear life, and 
talk as hard as you stir. That’s one of the 
conditions of being allowed to work in this 
kitchen.” 

Daniel Morford never needed any urging to 
talk, and in five minutes he was seated near the 
kitchen table, a great gingham apron tied about 
him, a huge yellow bowl in his lap, and flourish- 
ing a monstrous wooden spoon in his hand like a 
scepter, while his tongue wagged like a mill clap- 
per, and the girls were in gales of laughter. 

“Yes-sir-ee! ” Slap, slap! Spat, spat! 
went the great wooden spoon through the thick 
cake batter, spicy, rich, and brown, with raisins 
poking their shiny heads up through it. “I 
just did it up in shape ! Never had such a trip ! 
They never suspected a single thing! ” Bang! 
bang! “Just thought that I was the greenest 
158 


T HANKSGIYING 


country jay they’d ever roped in, and pinin’ to 
make ’em rich by investin’ my money. Beckon 
they won’t feel just the same when they hear 
from Smith & Brown a little later. Why, drat 
’em, they’ve done more honest men out of their 
little all than I could shake a stick at! My 
Lord ! ” For Daniel Morford had become so 
earnest in his righteous indignation that all 
thought of his present occupation and surround- 
ings was forgotten. The big spoon in his hand 
became for the time being the stick to he shaken 
in defense of the “ honest ” men, and, regardless 
of the hatter which adhered to it, was suddenly 
raised from the bowl and shaken violently, with 
a result not difficult to picture. Most of its con- 
tents landed in Grace Langford’s lap, as she 
happened to he sitting just opposite to him 
shelling nuts. 

“Oh, say, but I am a great chump, and no 
mistake! Lucky that you had that apron on, 
though, and that’s a fact. Here, let me help 
clean up the mess. My soul, if that had hap- 
pened in mother’s kitchen she’d a-had a fit, cer- 
159 


Three Graces 

tain as the world ! — Here, Ellen, crack my head 
with this, if you want to ; I deserve it,” he cried 
contritely, as he caught up the rolling-pin and 
held it toward her. 

Order was presently restored, and Grace’s 
apron replaced with a fresh one, and then Daniel 
Morford resumed his cake beating and his talk. 

“But it is true as Gospel, and it’s enough to 
make any honest man’s blood boil to learn of 
the trickery that’s been practised out there at 
that ‘ United Keystone Mining Company.’ 
United! Huh! United to do the other fellow, 
if he doesn’t look sharp ! ” And spat, spat, went 
the spoon again. 

“ What did you say the name was?” ques- 
tioned Grace Langford excitedly, a light spring- 
ing into her eyes and a color into her cheeks. 

“United Keystone. Ever heard of it ? Hope 
none of your relations, unless they’re mighty 
smart, ever had any money in it. But the mem- 
bers of that company will learn a thing or two 
before they’ve had time to shave their whiskers 
many more times, or I’m much mistaken. Gorry, 
160 


Thanksgiving 

but I’d like to handle ’em like this cake ! ” And 
the big spoon beat with a vengeance. 

“No, I haven’t; but, Mr. Morford — Mrs. 
Sinclair, would you mind if we went into the sit- 
ting-room for a few moments? I’ll explain to 
you later. — Excuse me, girls, but I can’t say 
more, because it concerns some one else, and I 
must have a talk with Mr. Morford.” And 
quivering with suppressed excitement, Grace 
rose to her feet, hastily unfastened her apron, 
threw it across the back of her chair, and then 
stood eagerly awaiting Mrs. Sinclair’s answer. 

“Certainly, dearie. Go and talk as long as 
you wish, for I am sure it is a serious matter. 
— And Mr. Morford, you will stop for our high 
tea, won’t you? It will be high in more than 
one sense of the word, I’ve no doubt, for we’re 
all going to play waitresses, and a waiter will 
add to the novelty.” 

“Now, you are good! Stay! Don’t ask me 
if you don’t want me to, honest ,” and he put 
down his bowl as she untied his apron. “Now 
come on, little girl, and tell me what’s up. Gosh 
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Three Graces 

me, I can’t toss a stone without hitting some- 
thing connected with that Lancaster business ! ” 
And he led the way to the sitting-room. 

For more than an hour their voices were 
heard in earnest conversation, and then the 
girls returned from their errand in the vil- 
lage. 

“Now we must stop, for I don’t want Grace 
to know that I have said a thing to you. If any- 
thing does come of this, I’ll he the happiest girl 
in the world; but it is no use to arouse her 
hopes if we are not sure of it.” And Grace 
clasped her hands eagerly. 

“ You’re just a little trump! That’s exactly 
what you are,” answered Daniel Morford, taking 
both the little hands in his own strong ones 
without a thought that Mrs. Grundy would prob- 
ably have had a spasm had she been present to 
witness the act, “and we’ll do all we can for that 
chum of yours. Don’t say one word to her — not 
a single word — but I’ll go straight to see her 
father and mother the very minute I can get off, 
and there won’t be much I sha’n’t learn, I’ll bet 
162 


T HANKSGIYING 


my bottom dollar. Now, come on out and belp 
with the doin’s. I’ll write to you the very 
minute I have a word of news, and you just 
count on Daniel Morford to get some. Come 
along.” 


163 


CHAPTEE XIV 


COMING EVENTS CAST THEIR SHADOWS BEFORE 

More than a week had now passed, and still 
no sign of Grace Houghton. Her mother had 
been telegraphed to, and also written to, but the 
astounding reply had come back to Miss Emer- 
son that such a procedure was nothing new upon 
Grace’s part; she had run away innumerable 
times, and would come back when her purse was 
empty. That Mrs. Houghton was one of a 
house-party at Tuxedo, and simply could not 
hear of coming away merely to hunt up a head- 
strong girl who was perfectly capable of taking 
care of herself, and was no doubt staying with 
some of her friends at that very moment; that 
Miss Emerson need not worry at all; she (Mrs. 
Houghton) never did. 

Poor Miss Emerson was nearly beside her- 
self. Adalaide had kept her fully informed of 
164 


Coming Events 

each day’s search, and was untiring in her 
efforts, but even she and her mother, who had 
been her daily companion, were growing dis- 
couraged when a mere chance brought the 
search to a climax. 

Mrs. Percy and Adalaide had just alighted 
from a Broadway car one afternoon, and were 
about to cross to the sidewalk, when a hansom 
cab came dashing along and forced them to 
pause a moment. Chancing to glance up at that 
instant, what was Adalaide’s surprise to see 
Grace Houghton seated therein and talking 
in the most friendly manner imaginable to 
a dashingly dressed young woman. She gave 
a little cry, and caught hold of her mother’s 
arm. 

“Come quickly, it was Grace! ” she cried. 

“Where? I did not see,” exclaimed Mrs. 
Percy. 

“In that cab. And, see, they have stopped at 
that hotel over there ! Oh, do let us hurry ! ” 

Mrs. Percy needed no urging, and a moment 
later they had reached the hotel in question. 

165 


Three Graces 

The cab was just driving away, when Mrs. 
Percy hailed it. 

“Driver, have you any idea who that lady 
is who has just entered the hotel? ” she asked. 

The man eyed her suspiciously. “Sure, I 
have/’ he answered. 

“Are you willing to tell me? ” she continued. 
Mrs. Percy’s manner was of the order which 
commanded respect. 

“I don’t know that it’s anny sacret,” an- 
swered the man. “All the whorld knows her. 

’Tis Miss R , it is. She’s a great actress, all 

right, and makes her pile o’ money.” 

“Thank you,” replied Mrs. Percy, handing 
the man a quarter. “Yes, she is very famous.” 

“Thank you, lady. Faith, I earned that 
chape ! ” he commented as he drove off. 

Ten minutes later certain explanations had 
been made at the office, and Adalaide and her 
mother were following the clerk, who thought 

it wiser to conduct them himself to Miss R ’s 

suite of rooms. Within two more a girl was 
protesting that it was “entirely useless to urge 
166 


Coming Events 


her,” for she “would not go back to Laurel Hill.” 
“I shall not go ! I have just concluded arrange- 
ments with Miss R to enter her company, and 

shall do so at once . She assures me that I shall 
soon he able to learn a part, and that meantime 
I may he a supernumerary, and gain experience 
in that way. I have decided to take Bijou 
Houghtonne for my stage name, and everything 
is settled. I am sorry, but I shall not go.” 

But why describe a painful scene? Let us 

keep to the sunnier ones. Miss R was wise 

enough to see which side to take, although she 
had not been above amusing herself at the ex- 
pense of the vain little mortal who had had the 
audacity to force herself upon her in her dress- 
ing-room at the theater a few days before, hav- 
ing been shrewd enough to buy a box of flowers, 
and come under the pretext of delivering them 
in person. How this madcap had stopped at 
the hotel where she and her mother always 
stopped when in New York, and where they 
were well known to the proprietor, stating that 
her mother would join her within a day or two 
12 167 


Three Graces 


at most, liow she had constantly worn her golf 
skirt because its length left it open to specula- 
tion whether she was a sixteen-year-old girl in 
a somewhat longer skirt than usual or a twenty- 
year-old young lady in a somewhat shorter one, 
would make a long story. Whether the propri- 
etor of the hotel collected his hill from Mrs. 
Houghton later on, would make another. 
Grace’s money had gone in matinee tickets and 

posies for her adored Miss K , for not a day 

had passed without her visiting that lady, and 
Adalaide had appeared just when her triumph 
seemed achieved. That Friday night she slept 
in Mrs. Percy’s home, and the next day the Lau- 
rel Hill schoolgirls greeted with a shout a much- 
belabeled suit-case which the expressman de- 
livered there. 

“Girls, girls! Grace must be coming back, 
for here is her suit-case ; ‘ coming events cast 
their shadows before.’ Baden-Baden, Berlin, 
Dresden, Paris, Lyons, Aix-la-Chapelle, Toulon ! 
Twenty-two labels to testify to her furrin trav- 
els,” cried Molly Hastings, pointing to the labels 
168 


Coming Events 


still sticking upon the case, for it had journeyed 
abroad with Grace, and she meant that the 
world should be aware of that fact. 

It need hardly be stated that this return to 
the school was an ordeal to others beside Grace 
Houghton. Poor Adalaide had passed a miser- 
able week in her search, and was thoroughly 
worn out. Miss Emerson felt that she could 
not expect the slightest cooperation from 
Graced mother in bringing the girl hack to a 
realizing sense of her rashness, or in making 
her understand the compromising position in 
which her act had placed her. Utterly lawless 
and entirely uncontrolled, she had spent sixteen 
years in doing exactly as she pleased, and never 
had the faintest conception of doing a thing 
which ran counter to her own wishes simply be- 
cause it was the honorable and proper way in 
which to do it, and to do differently would harm 
her far more than it would harm others. This 
was stony soil to work upon, and how to fertilize 
it for the seed she wished to sow was a serious 
problem to Miss Emerson. In her perplexity 
169 


Three Graces 

she sought Mrs. Sinclair and had a long talk 
with her. 

“Send her straight here, dear, the moment 
she gets back. Elizabeth has gone to New York 
to spend Sunday, and I shall be all alone, for 
Ellen is just a part of the establishment. I 
will keep her a while, and we will see what can 
be done for this poor little rattle-brain. I wish 
I could give her mother a few wholesome hints 
on duty ! Oh, these vain, silly women ! How dare 
they assume the responsibility of maternity! 
Can’t they understand what they are missing 
when they hold themselves aloof from their 
daughters, and live in their own selfish world? 
They are blind to the priceless treasures at their 
feet while reaching for the baubles beyond, for 
there is no relation on earth which holds such 
beautiful possibilities.” 

“I know it, Mrs. Sinclair, and feel what I miss 
in many ways. Even though I love my girls 
dearly, I realize that I can not possibly appre- 
ciate what the true mother-love is, where self be- 
comes a daily, voluntary sacrifice, and the great- 
170 


Coming Events 


est joy is found in living for another, and help- 
ing to so form that precious life that it, in turn, 
may live for another when the time shall come 
for her to do so. Under such conditions it 
ceases to be a sacrifice, and becomes a continual 
joy, for the reward is given daily in that well- 
trained, wisely guided daughter’s love. There, 
I have made my little speech, and now I shall 
leave the rest to your wisdom, for it is better 
for her to he separated from the other girls for 
a day or two.” 

That afternoon Grace and Adalaide drove 
up to Mrs. Sinclair’s cottage, for a telegram 
had given the latter all the hint needed. Mrs. 
Sinclair welcomed them in her bright, cheery 
manner, taking not the slightest notice of the 
highly toploftical air this sorely misused young 
lady chose to assume. 

“Will you stop and have supper with us, 
Miss Percy? ” she asked. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Sinclair, hut I think I 
ought to go straight up to Laurel Hill, for Miss 
Emerson may need me.” 

171 


Three Graces 

Grace’s head was sharply jerked into a more 
erect position than ever. 

“Very well, dear; I’ll take good care of this 
tired little girl, and see that she is as snug as a 
bug in a rug.” And slipping her arm about 
Grace’s waist, she walked with her across the 
hall, up the stairs, at the door of her room 
kissed her gently, and passed on to her own bed- 
room. A log of wood could not have been less 
responsive. 

During their cozy supper Mrs. Sinclair 
made no allusion whatever to recent events, but 
Grace’s favorite dishes were served, for in the 
three days spent with Mrs. Sinclair after the 
Hallowe’en episode that astute woman had 
learned several things. She talked gaily of the 
Thanksgiving frolic, told about their dinner 
and the fun they had had serving it, and made 
not the least comment when Grace excused her- 
self and went to her room soon after the sup- 
per ended. Not a word of reproof was spoken, 
not a sign of disapproval manifested. At nine 
o’clock, when Mrs. Sinclair went to her own 
172 


Coming Events 

room, she tapped at Graced door and entered in 
response to the brief “Come in.” 

Grace was in bed, with a lamp burning upon 
the table beside her, and was reading Frou- 
Frou. She did not lay the book down, but hold- 
ing it slightly to one side, looked at Mrs. Sin- 
clair in a challenging manner. 

“I thought you might like to read a while, 
dear, before journeying to the land o’ Nod, so 
I have brought you this,” and Mrs. Sinclair laid 
a copy of Mrs. Stewart’s stories upon the table. 
Then stooping over, she gently kissed the hand- 
some, defiant little face upon the pillow, saying 
softly: “Good night, little daughter; you are 
mine for a day or two, you know. God bless and 
keep you, sweetheart,” and left the room. 

Sunday afternoon Grace went back to the 
school, and to outsiders all seemed as before, 
although the girls were, perhaps, a shade less 
friendly. But the fertilizing process had begun, 
and later the seed was sown which was to bring 
forth wholesome fruit. 


173 


CHAPTER XY 


CHEMICAL PROBLEMS — AND OTHERS 

Three weeks slipped away, as weeks have 
a trick of doing between Thanksgiving and 
Christmas, and a flutter of expectancy began to 
pass over the school, for there would he a gen- 
eral exodus for the holidays and plans were be- 
ginning to simmer. Naturally, with so much to 
think of beyond the school walls, it was no won- 
der that the girls’ wits went “wool gathering ” 
occasionally, and recitations did not come up 
to the standard. But it was usually in Miss 
Poindexter’s classes that this was most appar- 
ent. Miss Poindexter was what the girls termed 
“dead easy.” 

Grace Percy had gone down to the music- 
room to practise one afternoon, and Grace 
Langford was alone in their room when a hang 
came upon the door and Florence hurst in with : 

174 


Chemical Problems 

“Oh, plague take this chemistry lesson, any- 
way! I can’t make head or tail of it. Look 
here, what is it all about, Grace? C 2 H 5 ,HO — 
what everlasting rubbish, C 2 H 5 ! — what does 
that mean — alcohol or sulfuric acid? ” 

“My heart, child, don’t ask me\ I just can’t 
remember the first thing about it for five min- 
utes! I hate it; and it’s all I can do to make 
‘ head or tail ’ of just plain figures, let along 
that stuff,” and Grace shook her head dole- 
fully. 

Florence dropped upon a hassock beside 
Grace, and, with the untrammeled freedom of 
schoolgirl intercourse, leaned over to see what 
she was doing. “What are you up to, any- 
way? I thought that you had finished your 
geometry.” 

“ Geometry ! This is a bigger problem than 
any I’ve ever run up against in geometry, let 
me tell you. Geometry isn’t in it with month- 
ly accounts, honey. Now, just look here ” 
(Grace said heah ), “if you want a beautiful 
example of complex, duplex, perplex figur- 
175 


Three Graces 


ing.” And she spread one pretty hand over 
an open account-book and looked at Florence 
with woe and despair pictured upon her 
face. 

“What are you trying to do, anyway? Get 
your accounts straight? I never can tell where 
all my allowance goes, and I gave up trying 
ever so long ago. Mamma gives me a cer- 
tain sum each month, and at the end of it 
I don’t have a cent; so I know I’ve spent it 
all, and that’s all I do know. Never kept 
an account straight in my life, and mamma 
says that she doesn’t know what will become 
of me.” 

“When I came back this year, that blessed 
daddy of mine said that he was going to increase 
my allowance, but only on the condition that 
I’d keep strict account of expenditures, and 
send him a list each month. He doesn’t care so 
much what I spend it for — although I reckon he 
thinks I’ll be a little more careful if I know he 
is going to learn later — as he does to have me 
keep things straight. But, Lor’, child, I can’t 
176 


Chemical Problems 


remember every penny I spend to save me. It 
goes, sure enough, but goodness only knows 
where.” And another wag of the head empha- 
sized the assertion. 

“Yes, but you’ve got item after item ac- 
counted for,” replied Florence, running her fin- 
ger down the page before her. “November 3d, 
veiling; November 4th, livery stable; Novem- 
ber 5th, Huyler’s; November 6th, matinee; No- 
vember 7th, G. 0. K., also class dues; November 
9th, ribbon; November 10th, Gr. 0. K. ; Novem- 
ber 12th, linen and silks; November 15th, 
Gr. 0. K. G. 0. K. — what under the sun does 
G. 0. K. mean? ” 

Grace’s eyes began to twinkle, although her 
mouth was as solemn as a nun’s as she an- 
swered : 

“Don’t you know I have to say something , but 
I can’t to save me remember what I spent the 
money for on those days, although I know I 
spent some, so I put that down : Goodness Only 
Knows. There, let’s do something nice ! ” And 
bang went the book together. 

177 


Three Graces 

“Nice, with three pages of chemistry before 
me! Td give a pound of Huyler’s to get out of 
doing it.” 

“Honest? Then go get your pound and 
leave the rest to me.” 

Florence looked incredulous for a moment, 
then flung the book across the room. “It’s a go. 
Come on.” 

The chemistry class was assembled and Miss 
Poindexter at the board with her back to the 
girls. Fifteen sat upon the recitation forms 
with books, pads, and pencils in hand and a 
variety of expressions upon their faces. Grace 
and Florence were beside each other about half- 
way down the row. 

“Now, young ladies,” began Miss Poin- 
dexter, “ will you be kind enough to give me 
your undivided attention? Molly, please tell 
me the chemical symbols for alcohol.” And 
Miss Poindexter paused with chalk upraised. 

“C 2 H 6 0,” answered Molly. 

“Excellent! I am delighted to see that one 
member of my class has a retentive memory. 
178 


Chemical Problems 

Now, Dorothy, how does the formula for sulfu- 
ric acid differ from the above? ” 

“H 2 — 0 — , SO ” 

“3” And down went the 3 upon the hoard. 
“But what is wrong with the answer, young 
ladies? ” 

Possibly five minutes of the half-hour reci- 
tation period had been consumed by this time, 
and Grace Langford was on the alert. Flor- 
ence’s heart was going pit-a-pat, for all the 
previous afternoon’s study-hour had been spent 
in eating Scotch kisses, and how Grace was 
going to get her through the impending minutes 
was more than she could guess. But Grace was 
no dullard, and this was her cue. Throwing all 
possible animation and interest into face and 
voice, she asked: 

“Yes, Miss Poindexter, that is just the very 
thing that puzzles me. Why was it changed from 
the former symbol to the present one, and who 
changed it? Didn’t it make a lot of trouble all 
over the world? And how did everybody find 
out that it was changed? Suppose some one 
179 


Three Graces 


here in this town, for example, wrote out a cer- 
tain prescription for a person who was going 
to — well, let us say Russia — and the chemist over 
in Russia didn’t know anything about the Amer- 
ican symbols — wouldn’t that make an awful mess 
of things? Wouldn’t it he dangerous ? They 
might kill somebody, might they not? What 
good is chemistry anyway, Miss Poindexter? ” 

The train was fired. Miss Poindexter need- 
ed no more. Florence was safe. 

“What use is chemistry! Why, my dear 
child, how can you ask such a foolish question? 
Do you not have daily evidence of its usel 
Think of the advance science has made owing 
to its agency. Think of the m-a-r-v-e-l-s it has 
wrought! Liquid air! Galvanic batteries! 
Powerful explosives ! Why — why — I can not 
begin to enumerate them for you. The world 
simply could not advance without a proportion- 
ate advance in our knowledge of chemistry! ” 
And away went Miss Poindexter upon her 
“ hobby,” galloping him to distraction, while 
Grace’s face glowed with absorbing interest 
180 


Chemical Problems 

and an adroitly dropped word, a leading ques- 
tion now and again, spurred that frantically gal- 
loping steed to the wildest efforts. 

“Why, surely , surely you must grasp the im- 
portance of — ” But of what was not told that 
day, for zing-g-g-g rang the electric bell to end 
the period, and Miss Poindexter brought her 
steed upon his haunches. 

“Oh — why! Dear me! Really, there must 
he a discrepancy in the clocks of this building — 
it simply can not be a half-hour since we began 
our lesson for to-day ! However, you have not 
lost anything for having had a little lecture on 
so marvelous a science, and you may all have 
the same lesson for Thursday. Nothing is lost, 
nothing is lost.” And bustling and talking, she 
gathered up her papers, etc., and trotted from 
the room, the girls following close upon her 
heels. The last to follow her were Grace and 
Florence. 

“Now!” and Florence with a suppressed 
scream flung her arms about Grace’s neck. 

“What did I tell you? ” asked Grace, cho- 
181 


Three Graces 

king with laughter, as Miss Poindexter called 
back : 

“Girls, girls, what are you doing? ” 

“Pm just hugging Grace because she is so 
sweet,” answered Florence innocently. 

“This is neither the time nor the place for 
such demonstrations, however ‘ sweet ’ she may 
be,”, was the austere reproof. 

And so two problems came to an end, but 
the third was the most intricate of all, for it 
involved more than personal accounts and chem- 
istry. 

Although he had fully intended calling at 
Mrs. Percy’s home as soon as he returned to 
Trenton, various business duties detained 
Daniel Morford, for Smith & Brown were find- 
ing the United Keystone Mining Company a 
pretty good sized one to handle, and the deeper 
they probed into the business which concerned 
it, the more their fingers became smudged. 

Mr. Brown was deep in the problem one 
morning when Daniel Morford came into his 
office. 


182 


Chemical Problems 

“Say, Morford, did I understand that you 
had made some new discoveries while out in 
Lancaster which, while not concerning our cli- 
ents, had some bearing upon this company’s 
dealings with others ! ” 

“Well, that depends. Mebbe I have, and 
mebbe I haven’t. But experience has taught me 
that if there’s a thunderin’ lot of smoke floatin’ 
’round overhead, there must be a blaze lower 
down. I did learn some things, and before I’m 
much older I’m goin’ to learn some more. Say, 
Mr. Brown ” — and all the listlessness vanished 
in an instant, as Morford jerked himself up in 
his chair — “can you spare me for a few days! 
I’ve hated to ask when we were in such a rush 
here in the office, but I believe that I ought to 
follow this thing up, and not let a hayfield ripen 
while I’m doin’ it either.” 

“Tell me the facts, Morford.” 

Nearly an hour passed before the conversa- 
tion ended, and then Daniel Morford rose to 
his feet. 

“I’ll do it ! By gum, I’ll do it right off ! I’ll 

13 183 


Three Graces 


go over first thing to-morrow morning. Good- 
by for a few days, Mr. Brown.” And he held 
out his hand to his employer, who, grasping it 
warmly, said: 

“I would, by all means. Good luck to you.” 

About four o’clock the next afternoon a 
young man stood before a mirror in a private 
dressing-room in Rogers, Peet’s clothing store, 
shining and resplendent in his new attire. 

“So this is just the proper caper, is it? 
Hum! Does look sort o’ scrumptious, don’t it, 
now? ” he asked the obsequious clerk beside him. 

“Quite the proper thing, sir, quite! Very 
latest cut and cloth imported this season. Fits 
you as though custom-made. You’ve a -fine fig- 
ure. Not many men of your age can show such 
a pair of shoulders.” And he ran a skilled hand 
over the smooth cloth of the fine Melton over- 
coat. 

“Do tell! ” And a comical smile stole over 
Daniel Morford’s face as he looked down upon 
the dapper little man beside him. 

“Yes, sir; yes, sir. The whole toilet is en- 
184 


Chemical Problems 

tirely correct for an afternoon call upon ladies. 
Absolutely correct. Nothing lacking.” And 
another bow emphasized the assurance. 

Daniel Morford did not reply, but taking a 
pocketbook from his pocket, asked: 

“Now, what’s the damage? ” 

“ One hundred and eleven dollars and eighty- 
five cents, sir. Coat, sixty; suit, thirty-five; 
cravat, one; shirt, two fifty; collar, twenty-five 
cents ; hat, five dollars ; shoes, five dollars ; 
socks, fifty cents; gloves, two fifty; handker- 
chief, fifty cents. Fine outfit.” 

Daniel Morford counted out the money, 
added an extra dollar, and said : 

“Make it one hundred twelve eighty-five. 
Guess you’ve earned that dollar for gettin’ me 
into this rig. You’ve got me up in shape, young 
man, and it’s no use talkin’, clothes do tell. But, 
gosh me, seems to me you’ve tried to put an 
eight foot into a seven shoe.” And he dropped 
into a chair to inspect the shining patent-leather 
footgear he wore. 

“Not at all! Not at all! The fit is perfect, 
185 


Three Graces 


although, of course, a new shoe is going to feel 
a trifle stiff. After an hour or so you won’t 
know that you have not worn them a month.” 

“.Time will tell,” was the laconic answer. 

At five o’clock Daniel Morford rang the 
electric bell at the door of the “Park” apart- 
ments, and awaited the appearance of some one 
to open it. He waited for perhaps five minutes, 
and then rang again. A second later a stylishly 
dressed young woman opened the door and 
came out. Daniel accosted her with: 

“Is Mrs. Percy at home? ” 

She stopped, looked at him a second, and 
then replied: 

“Really, I can not tell you. Ring the Percy 
bell.” 

Now his experience with apartments was 
extremely limited. In Trenton, those whom 
he knew well enough to visit dwelt in houses, 
and apartments there were “ flats,” occupied 
for the most part by people in extremely mod- 
est circumstances, and so it is not surprising 
that the workings of the New York apartments’ 
186 


Chemical Problems 

front doors should have baffled him. Meantime 
this one had clicked together behind the yonng 
lady. Seeing his hesitation, she reached over 
and pressed the button beneath the name of 
Percy in the row of shining brass mail-boxes, 
and said: 

“They will open the door in a moment.” 
Then gathering up her voluminous skirts, she 
sailed down the steps, leaving the air redolent 
of violet sachet. 

Daniel Morford raised his hat in thanks, then 
leaned back against the door to await develop- 
ments. “Click!” In swung the door, and in 
went Daniel Morford, backward. 


187 


CHAPTER XVI 


BOOTS VERSUS BUSINESS 

“But you will surely remain to dine with us, 
Mr. Morford? We can not think of allowing 
you to leave us just now, and it will give us 
great pleasure to offer you our 4 bread and 
salt/ ” said Mrs. Percy, when the little clock 
upon the mantel-shelf chimed out the hour of 
six, and Daniel Morford rose to take his 
leave. 

“Not at all, Mr. Morford. Not at all. We 
can not let you go after all the warm interest 
you have shown. We really can not,” added 
Mr. Percy from his chair. 

Over Daniel Morford’s face crept the kindly 
look ever present there when he spoke to women 
or children. 

“Won’t I be a lot of bother? — Do you want 
me to stay, little girl? ” The first question was 
188 


Bo ots versus Business 

to Mrs. Percy; the second to Isabel, who stood 
near her father’s chair. 

“I shall be delighted to have you, Mr. Mor- 
ford, and will promise to mix your salad dress- 
ing for you, if you will. You know that mother 
and I are housekeeper, cook, and waitress com- 
bined, so you are risking a good deal to trust 
yourself to our ability after all I’ve heard about 
your mother’s cooking.” And Isabel smiled her 
rare, winning smile. 

“Did the little girls over at Laurel Hill tell 
on me ? Couldn’t help it ; knew they’d taste good 
to ’em. Yes, mother can bake. So you really 
will take me in? Well, I’ll stay, and thank you 
right kindly, too. Trot along and fix up your 
supper while I talk business with Mr. Percy. 
Seems to me we’ve got a considerable ahead of 
us, as near as I can make out. Gosh me, how 
queer things do come about, and no mistake! 
Who’d a-thought, Mrs. Percy, when your two 
girls set out for school last September, and we 
ran up against each other on that train, and my 
hat went sailing down on their heads, that it 
189 


Three Graces 

would lead up to this? Well, here I am, and 
seem’ as I’m going to stay a while longer, I 
guess I’ll take off my overcoat.” And he re- 
moved that newly purchased garment to lay it 
across a chair. 

“Let me hang it on the hall rack for you, Mr. 
Morford. Father hates to have his coat rum- 
pled,” said Isabel, quick to see that kindness of 
heart was having a conflict with self-conscious- 
ness in their guest, and, true to her nature, long- 
ing to set him wholly at his ease. 

“Lor’, you can’t lug it! The thing weighs 
near about a ton, I reckon. Where’s your rack? 
Didn’t see it when I came in. Guess I was flus- 
tered a little. Haven’t done much in the callin’ 
line — too busy ladder-climbin’. Got up a rung 
or two now, so I wouldn’t wonder if it would 
be a good plan to take time to see how other fel- 
lows do things, would you ? ” He took the heavy 
coat from her and followed toward the hall- 
way. 

“You need not feel any misgivings, Mr. Mor- 
ford,” said Mrs. Percy gently, “when you carry 
190 


Boots versus Business 

with yon a heart so filled with justice and kind- 
ness for your fellow men. The purest jewels 
take the finest polish, you know.” 

It was said as only Mrs. Percy could say 
such things, and Daniel Morford paused. Then, 
taking a step toward her, the quizzical expres- 
sion, so habitual to him, left his face, to he re- 
placed by one of wondrous tenderness, which 
made the plain features almost handsome, and 
holding out his hand to her, he said : 

“Do you think a silk purse ever teas made 
out of a pig’s ear? Seems to me I’m a great 
sight nearer the pig’s ear than the silk purse, 
but I admire the purse just the same, and would 
like first rate to know how to make one, Mrs. 
Percy.” 

She held the big, strong hand, as she re- 
plied : 

“ Shall I answer your proverb with a quota- 
tion? Read Henry VI some day, and you will 
find it. Both the reading and the quotation will 
be helpful. ‘A heart unspotted is not easily 
daunted.’ The little amenities of life come read- 
191 


Three Graces 


ily to those who boast such a heart, for a true 
gentleman, or gentlewoman, are what the words 
imply, and if circumstances have deprived them 
of opportunities to gain knowledge of the pre- 
vailing conventionalities earlier in life, nature 
has compensated by giving them the qualities 
which will respond to, and retain, the polish 
when in the fulness of time it can be given. You 
have many years before you, Mr. Morford. Be 
careful in your choice of friends and trust to 
your own instincts in all else. Try to feel that 
we are among those who will always gladly wel- 
come you, for you have, indeed, shown yourself 
to be a ‘ friend in need/ and that, you know, is 
‘ a friend indeed.’ ” 

It was a picture of strong contrasts which 
the occupants of that room presented. The 
gray-haired man, brought to the door of almost 
helpless invalidism through business trials, sit- 
ting before the logs blazing in the open fire- 
place. The serene-faced woman, gentle, digni- 
fied, and full of sympathy for the tall, awkward 
man whose hand she held, his face and manner 
192 


Boots versus Business 

so at variance with the new and fashionable 
clothing he was wearing, with the gentleness 
of his attitude and expression toward the woman 
speaking to him. The sweet-faced young girl, 
so like her mother, and so quick to cooperate 
with her in her welcome of this unusual guest, 
standing just within the portal of the door, one 
hand resting against the casing. 

‘Til remember this, Mrs. Percy — remember 
it as long as I live — and some day Fll show you 
how grateful I am, hut that’ll take time. You’ve 
taken all the ‘ stranger ’ feeling right out of me, 
and you can bet your bottom dollar that Daniel 
Morford won’t forget it neither. Come on, 
little girl, where shall I hang this coat? ” 

“Right out here, Mr. Morford,” answered 
Isabel, and quick to see that he wished to 
change the subject, she stepped into the private 
hall which ran the length of the apartment. 
“Mother, is anything burning? ” she asked, as 
she neared the door which opened upon the 
main hall. 

“Why, no, dear. Why do you ask? ” 

193 


Three Graces 

“I certainly smell something burning. It 
smells like wool.” 

Mrs. Percy hurried through the apartment 
toward the kitchen, but soon returned. “No, I 
do not smell it at all down there, although I 
certainly do here. Can it come from the main 
hall? ” She opened the door to look out. A 
villainous odor of burning wool greeted her 
nostrils. One glance at the gas bracket, a can- 
dle-light, by-the-way, beside their door, told the 
whole story. Perched calmly upon it, a blaze 
burning merrily through the top, and a glowing 
red smoulder all about it, was Daniel Mor- 
ford’s new five-dollar Derby. He had yet to 
learn that the modern apartment has an appli- 
ance below stairs for lighting the gas throughout 
its halls by means of electricity, as well as open- 
ing front doors from above , and that those dwell- 
ing in such apartments usually keep their hat- 
racks within the privacy of their own halls. 

Dinner was over, and they were once more 
gathered in the sitting-room. Upon a table be- 
fore them stood a strong box from which a num- 
194 



“ I’ll remember this, Mrs. Percy — remember it as long 

as I live. 


9 > 







*• 



















% 























Boots versus Business 

ber of legal papers had been taken, and were 
now spread open before Mr. Percy and Daniel 
Morford. Mrs. Percy and Isabel sat near by. 
The little clock ticked away, but no one noted 
the passage of time, as question after question 
was asked by the younger man and answered by 
the older one, and note after note was made. 

“Gosh me! And do you mean to say you 
never got one cent out of it? ” cried Daniel Mor- 
ford, bringing his hand down upon the table with 
a bang which caused things to skip. 

“Nothing whatever, Mr. Morford; nor would 
I have ever believed it possible to do so had 
you not appeared so opportunely to enlighten 
me. It is almost a miracle, and how I am ever 
to express my gratitude I quite fail to see. You 
understand my position : I am handicapped for 
want of funds to follow the matter up, and fear 
that even now, with so much almost in sight, 
I must lose all for lack of the necessary means 
to prosecute these unscrupulous men. It would 
require a very large sum, you know; a very 
large sum indeed.” And Mr. Percy ran his 
195 


Three Graces 

hand wearily across his forehead, as though his 
head was already throbbing at the prospect be- 
fore him. 

“Money! Of course it’ll need money. But 
there’s money in it. See here, Mr. Percy, this 
is business, and that’s what Pm after. If I 
could put this thing through, it would be a fine 
feather in my cap, and no knowin’ what else it 
would lead to. Will you let me try it ? If I don’t 
succeed you’ll be no worse off than you expected 
to be anyway; but, gosh me! if I do — Say, 
those little girls can have all the schoolin’ and 
collegin’ and kindergartening they want. Will 
you do it? If I make a go of it I’ll charge you 
ten per cent of what we get, and if I donH it’ll be 
my lookout. Come, now, say Yes, and shake on 
it,” and he held out his hand to Mr. Percy. Mr. 
Percy’s eyes were suspiciously bright as he took 
Daniel Morford’s hand and gave it a warm 
grasp, and there’s no knowing what might have 
happened had the latter not given voice to a pro- 
longed “Woh-h-o! ” just at that moment. 

“I beg your pardon, Mr. Morford. Did I 
196 


Boots versus Business 

grasp your hand too tightly? ” cried Mr. Percy 
in dismay. 

“Lord, no; it’s those blamed shoes ! They’re 
near about killin’ my co — foot ; but that idiot 
down at the store would sell ’em to me, and I was 
fool enough to let him.” And Daniel gathered 
the afflicted patent-leather-shod foot upon his 
knee. 

The laugh which followed, and in which he 
joined as heartily as any of them, ended the seri- 
ous side of the visit, and presently, provided 
with one of Mr. Percy’s old “alpines,” he took 
his departure. 

An elevated train soon whisked him to the 
Pennsylvania ferry-boat, and once across the 
river and seated in the train, off came those de- 
tested patent-leather shoes. When Trenton was 
reached at 1 a. m., a stocking-footed young man 
alighted from the train, walked rapidly along 
the silent streets to a little farmhouse upon the 
outskirts of the town, entered with a latch-key, 
deposited a pair of shining shoes upon the table 
in the sitting-room, drew a pair of fine lisle- 
197 


Three Graces 


thread socks, or rather all that was left of them, 
from his feet, and laid them beside the shoes. 
Then, barefooted, went softly np to his bedroom 
muttering : 

“ Danny, my boy, you’ve been on a racket 
for sure.” 


198 


CHAPTER XVII 


A FALSE MOVE 

“Oh, can’t you finish it? Can’t you read 
more? Oh, please do. We want so much to 
hear what comes next. Please tell us, Mrs. Sin- 
clair,” was the chorus of the ten girls gathered 
about Mrs. Sinclair for their usual Friday 
afternoon tea and reading when the clock struck 
the hour for departure. The three Graces were 
among them, and having followed the story from 
the beginning and watched its development with 
absorbing interest, they were keen to hear all 
Mrs. Sinclair had written. The more so that, 
under the veil of fictitious names, different 
scenes, and new settings, many of their own 
pranks and experiences were laid before them 
in an entirely new light, and while in many 
instances Mrs. Sinclair had kept to the true 
14 199 


Three Graces 

facts, they were so clothed as to be recognizable 
only by those most directly concerned. 

So it was no wonder that the girls were wild 
with curiosity regarding the outcome of it all. 
Each Friday the chapters had been read and 
reread to the different relays of girls visiting 
in order that none might fall behind, until Mrs. 
Sinclair laughingly said that she firmly believed 
that she could have recited the story word for 
word. They were now well along with it, for the 
holiday season had passed and February, with 
its cold, stormy days, well advanced. 

“I have only one more chapter written, girls, 
hut I am afraid it must wait until next Friday 
afternoon,” she said, smiling the kindly smile 
they had all grown to love so well, for slowly but 
surely she had won their love and confidence, 
and many a homesick or ailing girl had come to 
“little Mother Sinclair ” for advice and com- 
forting who would have shrunk in horror from 
asking either from Mrs. Hand, and who would 
have withheld a confidence from the principal. 
And so they had fallen into the habit of running 
200 


A False Move 

in during the afternoons with all their little joys 
and sorrows, sure of warm sympathy in both 
and a cheery greeting, for Mrs. Sinclair was 
never too busy to welcome one of her girls. All 
restraint fell away, they soon grew to feel that 
she was mother to all of them, and little did they 
realize what such a friendship meant to them. 

“Oh, please let ns stay just a little while 
longer ! ” begged Grace Percy, slipping her arm 
about Mrs. Sinclair’s waist, and resting her 
rosy cheek against the older woman’s. 

“Wish that I could say ‘ Yes,’ sweetheart, 
but I must not. You would all be late for din- 
ner. But — ” and her eyes began to twinkle. 

“Oh, what? What? Tell us quickly, do, 
please , for we know you have a plan,” was the 
chorus from them, as they gathered about her 
in their eagerness. 

“How many of you are free this evening? ” 

“I am! I am! We are!” cried five girls, 
while from the others came: 

“We aren’t, for nearly all the girls and teach- 
ers are going with Miss Emerson to the Yellow- 
201 


Three Graces 

stone Lecture at the Lyceum. But the Graces, 
Molly, and Florence were going to stay home 
because they had heard the lecture before.” 

“We were going to make candy,” cried Molly. 

“Would you like to spend the evening with 
me instead, and — ” But she got no further, for 
they swarmed over her and bore her bodily to 
the couch. But, dear me, how she enjoyed it! 

“Wait a moment, then, while I write a note 
for you to hand to Miss Emerson.” 

Now, things sometimes have a trick of get- 
ting into a kink in this world, and, unless we 
are extremely careful, that kink will lead to the 
most trying kind of a snarl well-nigh impossi- 
ble to untangle. As ill luck would have it, Miss 
Emerson had been called away during the girls’ 
absence, and Miss Poindexter, the only teacher 
who was not going to the lecture, was in charge 
for the evening. 

Miss Poindexter had passed through a some- 
what trying day, and was, in consequence, nerv- 
ous and irritable to the last degree. Grace 
Houghton had failed completely in her algebra, 
202 


A False Move 

indeed had added to the evil by telling some 
absurd “ fairy tale ” which had produced a laugh 
at Miss Poindexters expense. As Miss Emer- 
son was not at home, the note, of course, could 
not be given to her, but directly dinner ended 
the girls all flew to Miss Poindexter to ask per- 
mission to spend the evening with Mrs. Sinclair. 

“Are you perfectly sure that she wishes to 
have you do so! It seems to me a very great 
imposition upon her kindness after having en- 
tertained ten girls all the afternoon.” 

“Oh, she does want us! She truly does. We 
brought a note to Miss Emerson, hut she had 
gone out. But you will let us go, won’t you, 
Miss Poindexter! ” 

“Which girls has Mrs. Sinclair invited! ” 
The tone was icy. 

“ The three Graces, Florence, and me,” cried 
Molly. 

“I will let you know at a quarter before 
eight.” And turning sharply upon her heel, she 
said to the other girls who had gathered around : 

“Go at once to your rooms and put on your 

203 


Three Graces 

things; the omnibus will be at the door in ten 
minutes.” 

The girls looked at each other. 

“7 understand what that means,” said Grace 
Houghton. 

“Oh, we will go, don’t worry,” was Grace 
Langford’s cheery answer. 

“Of course she will, let us,” echoed Grace 
Percy. 

At a quarter to eight Miss Poindexter tapped 
at the Graces’ door to ask in a metallic voice: 
“Are you young ladies ready to go to Mrs. Sin- 
clair’s? You may do so for one hour.” 

The two Graces lost no time in throwing their 
golf capes about them and running out into the 
hall, where Molly and Florence awaited them. 

“Where is Grace Houghton? ” asked Grace 
Percy. 

“7 will regulate Miss Houghton’s outgoings 
while she is in my charge,” was Miss Poindex- 
ter’s austere reply. 

“Oh, but, Miss Poindexter, she was invited 
just as much as we were,” cried Grace, all her 
204 


A False Move 

sense of right outraged, for even though she had 
not heretofore had great reason to love Grace 
Houghton, she was quick to feel the injustice of 
this act. 

“Miss Percy, will you be good enough to 
allow me to conduct my own affairs as I consider 
best? It seems to me you are greatly concerned 
over a fellow pupil who certainly has not ex- 
erted herself to win either your respect or affec- 
tion, to say nothing of her line of conduct toward 
her instructors. She will remain in her room 
this evening.” 

Now, ordinarily Grace Percy was sunshine 
itself, and won sunshine from all ; but there was 
just one thing in this world which angered her 
as a red rag angers a bull, and this was injus- 
tice in any form, and the present case stirred 
her to the very depths of her soul, for well she 
realized how hard both Miss Emerson and Mrs. 
Sinclair were striving to steer this rudderless 
little craft into more placid waters, to instil 
in Grace a sense of honor toward others and 
proper self-respect. Ever since the Thanksgiv- 
205 


Three Graces 


in g -fiasco , both Grace and Adalaide had done 
everything within their power to blot out all 
memory of it, and to restore Grace to her former 
standing in the school by treating her exactly as 
though nothing unpleasant had ever happened. 
They had invited her to pass the Christmas holi- 
days in their home because Adalaide had dis- 
covered at the last moment that the girl was 
not to go to her own, and owing to all this, as 
is so natural with girls of this age thrown to- 
gether, the others had dropped back into their 
old attitudes toward her, and the school world 
moved along harmoniously. Grace Houghton 
was oftener at Mrs. Sinclair’s than any of the 
other girls; her visits were encouraged both 
by Miss Emerson and Mrs. Sinclair, and a pro- 
nounced change was noticeable in the girl. 

Miss Poindexter was a small woman, thin 
and restless to a degree, but she seemed to grow 
even smaller when, regardless of consequences, 
Grace Percy drew herself up to her full height, 
her cheeks scarlet, and her big eyes blazing as 
she said in clear, ringing tones: 

206 


A False Move 

“I have no desire to interfere with yonr con- 
cerns, Miss Poindexter, and I beg your pardon 
if I seem to have done so, hut I have never been 
able to endure the sight of gross injustice to 
any one, or anything, without at least lifting 
my voice in protest, and my mother has never 
chided me for so doing when she felt that I was 
in the right. True, until recently, Grace Hough- 
ton has done very little to win our love, hut, 
on the other hand, she has been very differently 
reared from most of us girls, and it would he 
a pity if we were so lacking in charity as to fail 
to make allowances for that. But I truly be- 
lieve that she is trying to do better, and mamma 
has always taught us that the battle is then half 
won, and I think this is a shame — a disgrace to 
the school. If Miss Emerson were at home it 
could never happen, and you will, I feel sure, he 
more sorry for it than any of us.” And turn- 
ing sharply around, Grace, who never before 
during her five months beneath that roof had 
spoken a rude word to teacher or schoolmate, 
walked down the hall like an outraged queen, 
207 


Three Graces 


the girls following meekly behind her, and Miss 
Poindexter standing as though dumb and rooted 
to the spot. 

Ten minutes later four excited girls were 
pouring their woes into Mrs. Sinclair’s ears. 

“ Don’t read the chapter to us to-night, Mrs. 
Sinclair,” cried Grace Percy. “We don’t want 
to hear it until Grace can hear it too, do we, 
girls ? Oh, it’s a shame ! A shame ! ” And she 
thumped one clenched hand into the palm of the 
other to emphasize her words. 

“ Gently, sweetheart; gently,” said Mrs. Sin- 
clair, stroking back the sunny hair from the 
flushed face, for Grace had dropped upon the 
rug at her feet and the other girls were gath- 
ered close about her. 

“Yes, I know Pm angry, but you understand 
why, don’t you ? ” And Grace straightened up 
to look right into the kind eyes bent upon her 
own blazing ones. 

Mrs. Sinclair took the face in both her hands 
as she answered: 

“Yes, dear, I understand. I also understand 
208 


A False Move 


that the girl in this school who has most reason 
to feel resentment toward Grace Houghton is 
now bravely championing her cause, and I ad- 
mire the spirit which can so put self aside.” 

“I wouldn’t care if she had slapped my face ; 
that wouldn’t alter the present case. Perhaps 
if my mother cared no more for me than Grace 
Houghton’s cares for her I shouldn’t be one bit 
better than she is. Only think, Mrs. Sinclair, she 
did not even have her home for Christmas after 
promising her she might come. She broke her 
promise , and went down to Palm Beach with a 
party of friends, and is still there. Grace has 
not seen her since she came here in September. 
If mamma did such a thing to one of us we 
would think that the world had come to an end. 
She couldn't! If it had not been for Ada- 
laide we would never have found it out, and 
Grace would have been the only girl left in the 
school during the three weeks’ vacation. That 
was the reason we asked her to go home with 
us, and ” (here all the anger dropped from 
Grace’s voice to be replaced by a wonderful soft- 
209 


Three Graces 

ness) “Mrs. Sinclair, you can’t think what a 
lovely time we had, or how she seemed to enjoy 
it. She took all her presents with her — her 
mother had sent her just shoals as a peace-offer- 
ing, I dare say — to open them at our house, 
and we had the merriest Christmas you ever 
knew, and she grew so fond of mamma. Really, 
she got to he quite like one of us, and it would 
have just broken your heart to have seen her 
when mamma came into our room on Christmas 
eve after we were all in bed. Adalaide’s and 
Isabel’s room opens out of mine, and Grace 
and I slept together. Mamma went first into 
their room, kissed them and said something 
sweet, as she always does to us on Christmas 
eve — I can’t remember a single one when she 
hasn’t — then she came to me, and last to Grace. 
When she stooped over her, Grace just put 
both her arms about her neck and hurst right 
out crying as hard as she could. Mamma gath- 
ered her right into her arms, and said, ‘ My dear 
little daughter for Christmas eve,’ and Grace 
sobbed out : ‘ Oh, I wish I were ! I wish I were, 
210 


A False Move 


for I don’t feel as though I had any mother ! ’ 
Mrs. Sinclair, it nearly broke our hearts, and I 
shall never, never forget it.” And without more 
ado this warm-hearted girl dropped her head 
into her friend’s lap and sobbed bitterly for the 
sake of a schoolmate who had openly insulted 
her not ten weeks before. 


211 


CHAPTER XVIII 


IN THE SHADOW 

“How dreadful! When did it happen? ” 
“Two days ago, but they did not think it so 
serious at first.” 

“When did the telegram come? ” 

“At midnight, and Miss Emerson sent right 
over for dear Mother Sinclair because Grace had 
grown so fond of her. She went home with 
Grace by the five o’clock train this morning, and 
is going to stay with her as long as she is needed, 
Miss Emerson says.” 

“Where was Mrs. Houghton? ” 

“Down South with a party traveling in their 
automobile. They had been at Tampa, and were 
coming North by easy stages, and having a glo- 
rious time. The accident took place at a rail- 
way crossing just before they reached Thomas- 
212 


In the Shadow 

ville. Miss Emerson read me the letter which 
came this afternoon.” And Grace Percy’s voice 
quivered. 

“ Doesn’t Grace even know the particulars 
yet? ” 

“No; she had left long before Miss Emerson 
learned them.” 

“How perfectly terrible! Oh, girls, we 
haven’t been half good enough to her, and just 
think what a sorrow has come to her ! ” cried 
Grace Langford in contrition. 

“ Hasn’t she any one but her mother ? ” asked 
Florence. 

“No. Miss Emerson says that Mr. Houghton 
spends a great deal of his time abroad and is 
now in Vienna, and that there really seems no 
one for Grace to turn to now that her mother is 
gone. Of course, she can stay in this school 
until her father comes home, but, think of it, 
girls, she has no one now; no home to go to or 
anything.” And tears of sympathy filled Grace 
Percy’s eyes. 

“Seems to me she never had one, anyway,” 
213 


Three Graces 

remarked another girl. “She scarcely ever saw 
her mother.” 

“ That may be true, too ; but she had her, and 
a home, too, and that meant something,” spoke 
up Molly. 

“Yes, indeed it did,” agreed Grace Lang- 
ford. 

“I wonder if she hasn’t any aunts or rela- 
tives, or any one to offer her a home ? ” queried 
Molly. 

“Miss Emerson told me that all Mr. Hough- 
ton’s relatives live in England, and that Mrs. 
Houghton had only a half-sister whose home is 
in San Francisco and whom Grace has never 
even seen.” 

“Well, I should think that Miss Poindexter 
would feel sweet after the way she treated her 
last night,” cried outspoken Florence. “It was 
just shameful ! And now this has come. I just 
can’t bear that woman ! ” 

“Hush! Don’t speak so loudly, Florence; 
some one will hear you, and, really, Miss Poin- 
dexter is completely done up, and has gone 
214 


In the Shadow 


to her room with a raging headache. It seems 
that she told Miss Emerson what had happened 
the very moment the party got back from the 
lecture, and how Grace had spoken to her, and 
seemed to think that Miss Emerson would 
promptly demand an apology from Grace; hut 
it turned out quite differently, for Miss Emer- 
son said: ‘I would rather have lost an entire 
year’s profits, Miss Poindexter, than have had 
this happen. You have made a very serious mis- 
take, put yourself in a false light, and undone 
that which it has taken weeks of patience to 
bring about, I fear. I am seriously annoyed 
and very deeply distressed.’ Bess and I were 
in the hall and could not help overhearing 
what was said in the library,” said another 
girl. 

“Don’t you reckon there is something we 
girls can do to show her how sorry we are for 
her? I certainly do pity her,” declared Grace 
Langford. 

“I mean to,” asserted Grace Percy positively. 
“I have an idea, and I’m going straight to Miss 
is 215 


Three Graces 

Emerson and Adalaide to talk it over with 
them.” And she went rapidly down the hall. 

The girls’ eyes followed the tall, well-formed 
figure, so replete with health and vitality — a fit- 
ting abode for the generous, upright spirit dwell- 
ing therein. 

“ I couldn’t do it,” protested Molly. “I 
couldn’t do it to save me after the way Grace 
Houghton has acted. I shall never forget the 
‘ charity pupil,’ and dozens of other mean things 
she has said. She has been perfectly hateful time 
and time again to Miss Percy.” 

“Well, if Grace and Miss Percy can over- 
look it all, I think that we ought to,” averred 
Grace Langford, “and, anyway, everything 
should be overlooked now.” 

“Good for you, Grace,” cried several of the 
girls. 

The telegram which had arrived at midnight 
had summoned Grace to her home, where all 
that was left of the vain, shallow woman whom 
she had called mother was being borne. She 
had done little during the sixteen years of her 
216 


In the Shadow 

daughter’s life to win either her love or respect, 
and even the girl’s last memory of her was the 
bitter one of a lightly broken promise, and, hut 
for Adalaide and Grace, her holiday would have 
been indeed a lonely one. Notwithstanding a 
hundred sharp speeches, and as many rude acts, 
they invited her to their home, and there, for the 
first time in all her life, she had been given a 
glimpse of the true meaning of that sacred word. 
It was a revelation to the girl, and for the time 
had quickened all that was best in her nature 
and resulted in an entire change in her attitude 
toward Grace and Adalaide. By no means a 
fool, she had been quick to see that true culture 
and refinement dwelt in that home in spite of 
the absence of wealth, and that there was more 
genuine worth to be found in that modest, home- 
like apartment, wherein mother and daughter 
attended to their own household duties — doing 
them with such a quiet dignity and so easily 
that the commonest tasks were put in an entirely 
new light, and domestic duties became a real 
pleasure because each member of the family did 
217 


Three Graces 


her share for love of the others — than in her 
own elegant home, where all was gorgeous, lav- 
ish display without love. 

And now the spectacular scene was brought 
to a tragic end, and what the future held in 
store for her, or would have held had this mother 
lived, no one could know. 

An hour later Grace Percy opened Miss 
Emerson’s door. Adalaide stood just within it. 
Miss Emerson held Grace’s hand. 

“My dear, I would do wrong to lay a straw’s 
weight in the scale to outweigh your generous, 
unselfish impulse were it not for the fact that 
the happiness of more than one person is in- 
volved. Am I not right, Adalaide? I can not 
say yes or no, for it does not rest with me to 
do so. And it is too weighty a question to 
be quickly decided. You must consult your 
mother and father, of course. At the Easter 
holiday you will be with them, and then you 
will be able to talk it over. Meanwhile, we will 
see what we can do right here for this poor little 
girl.” 


218 


In the Shadow 

“I shall not change my mind, Miss Emerson, 
no matter what happens. It has taken me some 
time to grow fond of Grace, but I am fond of 
her, and so sorry that I have no words to ex- 
press it.” And Grace gave her head the posi- 
tive little shake which Adalaide knew so well. 

“I believe it is so, Miss Emerson,” she said. 
“For my part, I will gladly coincide with Grace, 
but we must talk it over with mamma.” 

“Yes, dears, that is best, We will learn 
how she feels concerning this generous girl’s 
wishes.” 

A week later Grace Houghton and Mrs. Sin- 
clair returned. The girl seemed to have lost all 
spirit and grown utterly despondent. It was a 
strange mood, for even though she had never 
evinced any great fondness for her mother, or, 
indeed, for any one , a strange apathy seemed 
to have settled upon her which nothing served 
to dispel. In vain the girls tried to arouse her 
to something of the old-time spirit and fun, for, 
even though dwelling for the greater part of 
the time in an affected little world of her own, 
219 


Three Graces 


Grace had many times been surprised out of 
it, and become for a while just a natural, fun- 
loving girl. But it was useless. She constantly 
sought Grace Percy, often begging her to walk 
with her, and Grace never failed her. The other 
girls seemed to irritate her, and with them she 
was either morose or bitingly sarcastic. 

Grace Percy was sitting at her desk one 
afternoon in March writing to her mother, when 
Grace Houghton tapped upon her door. 

“Oh, excuse me, if you are engaged. I 
didn’t mean to intrude,” she said as she drew 
back. 

“You are not intruding. I’m not writing, 
see? ” answered Grace cheerily, closing her wri- 
ting-tablet with one hand and holding the other 
toward Grace. 

“Sha’n’t I bother if I come in? To whom 
were you writing — your mother? ” asked Grace 
as she dropped listlessly upon a bamboo seat 
which stood beside Grace’s chair, slipped one 
arm about her waist, and rested her head against 
her friend’s shoulder. 


220 


In the Shadow 

With one hand Grace Percy drew her close 
to her side, and with the other gently smoothed 
back the hair from the hot forehead, saying 
kindly : 

“Aren’t yon feeling well to-day, dear! No, 
you never bother me. I am writing to mamma. 
Would you like to read the letter! You may, if 
you wish, and add some message all your own ; 
it would please her, I know.” And she handed 
her the unfinished letter. Grace took it and 
read on from line to line without comment until 
she came to the end. The last words Grace had 
written were : ‘ 0 mamma, I am so sorry for 
her. I have grown very fond of her, and life 
seems to hold so little for her. I long to do 
something to fill it and know that you will help 
me when I come home at Easter. Dear, pre- 
cious little mother, what should we girls do with- 
out you! For you have never failed us. Only 
two more weeks to Easter, and then I am com- 
ing, coming, coming to hug you so tightly that 
you will cry for mercy, and — ” Here Grace had 
been interrupted. 


221 


Three Graces 


Grace Houghton let the letter fall upon the 
desk and dropped forward upon it, a storm of 
sobs shaking her girlish figure. Strangely 
enough, she had scarcely shed a tear during the 
past three weeks, and the lack of natural emo- 
tion had caused Mrs. Sinclair no little concern. 
The girl had been as a block of marble. But 
now the very flood-gates of sorrow seemed 
opened, and in vain Grace Percy endeavored 
to comfort and console. The storm had been 
too long in gathering not to bring destruction 
when at length it burst, and it seemed as though 
the girl must die of anguish. 

More than an hour passed before Grace 
Percy succeeded in calming her. At length, 
when she had induced her to lie upon the divan 
and let her bathe the throbbing temples with al- 
cohol, the girl was too spent to offer opposition. 
Tenderly, lovingly, did Grace Percy care for 
this stricken friend, and when she was quieter 
drop upon her knees beside her, rest her own 
sunny head upon the pillows by the darker one, 
and say: 


222 


In the Shadow 

“Now talk to me, dear. It will do you 
good.” 

Another hour slipped away, and still the 
murmur of voices continued. All the longing 
of childhood and girlhood years, all the natural 
yearning for the mother-love, all the hitter dis- 
appointment for its lack; the anger, the resent- 
ment, the desperation; the reckless indifference 
to criticism and sense of injustice because of it, 
and the suffering she might have been spared 
had a gentle word of guidance been opportunely 
given; the wild desire to “get even ” with those 
who had been responsible for those cruel hours 
of yearning and loneliness — all and more were 
poured forth in a volume from the lips of this 
girl of sixteen, and Grace Percy was nearly 
overwhelmed at the revelation. 

Sweet and elevating as the atmosphere of 
her own home had always been, it was well-nigh 
impossible for her to look into the chaos revealed 
by this girl’s words. 

Grace Langford came to the door, peeped 
in, grasped the situation at a glance, and stole 
223 


Three Graces 


softly away. The hour was too portentous to 
be lightly broken in upon. 

When Grace Percy went down to dinner at 
six thirty Grace Houghton had dropped into a 
restless, troubled sleep. 


224 


CHAPTER XIX 


hush! 

“Do you really suppose it is! ” 

“What, scar ! ” 

“Hush! Don’t whisper it. It would he 
dreadful for such a report to get abroad.” 

“But if it really is , we ought to know it at 
once ! ” cried an excitable girl, one of the group 
gathered at the extreme end of the north cor- 
ridor, as far removed from the one upon which 
Grace Houghton’s room was situated as pos- 
sible. 

“No one knows anything about it yet — not 
even Dr. Johnston. When Florence came to our 
room in the night to call Grace Percy — for 
Grace Houghton kept begging for her — she 
went straight to their room, and Florence and 
I went for Miss Emerson, who was very much 
225 


Three Graces 

alarmed, and sent at once for Dr. Johnston,” 
said Grace Langford. 

“ Perhaps it is typhus fever; that’s awful , and 
she may never get well,” was the cheerful re- 
mark of a girl whose digestion was seriously 
impaired by overindulgence in candy. 

“0 Pauline, do stop croaking! Isn’t it bad 
enough to have Grace Houghton lie there talk- 
ing wildly about everything that has happened 
for the past six months, without suggesting any- 
thing else dreadful? ” protested Florence with 
some spirit, for the night had been a trying one, 
and her nerves were on edge. 

“But why did Grace Percy go to her room 
if she knew it might he catching? ” persisted 
Pauline. “7 wouldn’t have done it.” 

“Lor’, child, you needn’t tell us that . Do 
you think that we are all dummies ? ” was Grace 
Langford’s retort. “Grace Percy is made of 
different stuff, let me tell you. She didn’t 
know anything about it when she went, hut I’ll 
stake my last dollar that she would have gone 
just the same. Bless her! I wish I had half 
226 


Hush! 


her courage and unselfishness. There aren’t 
many girls like her. But I’m right sorry for 
Adalaide; she is so anxious.” 

But it was neither “ typhus ” nor “scarlet ” 
fever, although phrenitis came nearer to its 
name than Dr. Johnston cared to admit; for not 
weeks alone, hut months and years of nerve 
strain, unwise training, forced development, and 
unnatural living had laid the foundation for it, 
and the good doctor shook his head when he 
looked at the flushed face upon the pillow, lis j 
tened to the incessant, rambling talk, and 
watched the restless wandering of the fever- 
lighted eyes, only quieted when they fell upon 
Grace Percy. Then there seemed to come a 
lucid moment, and a faint smile would curve the 
lips and a hand reach toward Grace’s. 

“Has she relatives near at hand, Miss Emer- 
son? ” asked Dr. Johnston. 

“None, Dr. Johnston. Her mother died one 
month ago.” And Miss Emerson’s eyes filled. 

“Too bad; too bad.” And the big, kind- 
hearted doctor shook his head. “Is there no 
227 


Three Graces 


one upon wliom she has any claim! ” But be- 
fore Miss Emerson could reply Grace had 
reached the doctor’s side. 

“She loves me, Dr. Johnston, and I will stay 
with her.” 

The physician turned to look into the strong 
young face beside him, a soft light filling his own. 

“You, little girl! ” he asked, laying his hand 
upon her shoulder. “It will prove too much for 
any one person, little one.” 

“But let me share it. I am very strong, and 
you see that I can quiet her. She has no 
one in all the world but her father, and he is 
in Europe.” And Grace clasped her hands to 
plead earnestly. 

“Stay! You will be better than twenty 
trained nurses, with that spirit backing you; 
but I shall send along the trained nurse, all the 
same. Don’t worry any more than you can help, 
Miss Emerson. It is not contagious, although 
I may as well warn you that it will be a slow, 
trying case. Take good care of this little girl, 
and don’t let her overdo. One patient in this 
228 


Hush ! 


school is all I will undertake, so bear it in mind.” 
And kind, whole-souled Dr. Johnston, who never 
yet in all the twenty years of his professional 
life had learned to look upon suffering or sor- 
row with indifference, hade them good morning. 

Two hours later the trained nurse was in- 
stalled. It would take too long to tell of the 
ensuing five weeks. Grace gave up her Easter 
holiday, her time, her strength, and her recrea- 
tion hours for this friend — cared for her as 
though she were indeed her own sister — and was 
the first person Grace saw when one beautiful 
day, late in April, when buds and blossoms were 
filling the air with their fragrance, she opened 
her eyes upon a world of reality to find Grace 
Percy kneeling beside her gently stroking the 
thin, wasted hand she held in her own strong 
ones. 

She smiled faintly, strove to raise her 
hand to Graced face, but strength was wanting. 
Grace divined her wish, and placed it against 
her cheek. Then sleep, “ tired nature’s sweet 
restorer,” came. 


229 


Three Graces 


Another week had passed. Grace continued 
to gain, and Grace Percy to hover over her with 
kind, encouraging words and gentle ministra- 
tions. Throughout the school there was general 
rejoicing, for the strain had been a long one, and 
for many, many days the outcome in the bal- 
ance. But now all was progressing well. Grace 
was regaining health and strength as rapidly 
as possible, Grace Percy had resumed her 
regular school work, which had been sadly 
interrupted, and was “working like a house 
a-fire,” as the girls expressed it, to catch up. 
Spring with all its beautiful promise was upon 
the land and the girls a-tingle to be out of 
doors and frisking about in the sunshine. 

Moreover, Easter had come and gone, and 
the school had become a very bower of posies 
which blossomed in the form of ravishing new 
hats, gowns, and what not that causes the young 
feminine heart to sing for joy. 

And why not? A natural delight, apart 
from foolish vanity, in the possession of pretty 
things is part and parcel of young folk. Cer- 
230 


Hush! 


tainly, never again can pretty things find better 
subjects for adorning than they find in sweet 
young girlhood, and I, for one, shall always 
rejoice at the sight of seventeen summers in 
her spring furbelows. We have so many, 
many more years in which to be old and plain 
than we have in which to be young and at- 
tractive. 

Grace Percy was poring over a big refer- 
ence book in the library one afternoon shortly 
after luncheon, when Grace Langford came fly- 
ing in to clasp her arms about her and cry : 

“Put down your old book and quit! This 
day is altogether too splendid for you to stay 
stived up indoors pouring over Greek history. 
Can't have it! Come on! ” 

“Come where? What’s doing? Wait a 
minute, until I put this book on the shelf, if 
you don’t want me in for a wigging from our 
august librarian, Miss Poindexter.” And she 
pushed the heavy volume back into its place. 

“Now, what? ” 

“Go along up-stairs and put on the very 
16 231 


Three Graces 

swellest clothes you own, for we are going to 
do the sassiety act, and he sassiety gurrls for 
the afternoon. I’ve ordered the swellest rig 
the livery-stable can turn out, and we’re going 
to pay farewell calls. We won’t have time to 
do it later, for these three weeks are going to 
slip away before we know where they’ve gone. 
So, fly ! Miss Emerson says that you need some 
livening up, and I’ve undertaken to begin the 
livening process.” And laughing and chatter- 
ing in her sunny, light-hearted way, Grace 
Langford dragged her friend from the library 
and up to their room. Half an hour later two 
exceedingly pretty, well-dressed girls stood be- 
fore their mirrors. One tall, fair, and stately 
in her dainty soft green and white foulard, with 
its pretty white lace trimmings, sweeping skirts, 
and a large green and white hat to match — every 
stitch of both gown and hat having been fash- 
ioned by her mother’s skilful hands; the other 
in a white foulard with conventional tracings of 
black, black lace trimmings, and a great black 
“ picture hat ” with nodding plumes. Both 
232 


Hush! 

wore immaculate white gloves and carried 
dainty card-cases. 

“Do you reckon we’ll do, honey? I feel 
mighty swell; don’t you? Come on. Just wish 
I could hug you, though; never saw you look 
so stunning, child. But the carriage must he 
waiting.” 

Down they hurried, their silken petticoats 
swishing behind them with the sound so truly 
gratifying to the feminine heart; through the 
corridors, and out upon the piazza. But no 
carriage was in sight. Standing before the door 
was a weary-looking beast tied to the hitching- 
post, although the precaution seemed wholly 
unnecessary. He was harnessed to a village 
cart which must have been manufactured when 
the girls looking at it were lying in their bas- 
sinets. 

“Now, where can our carriage be?” ex- 
claimed Grace Langford. “I ’phoned to them 
to send me one at three, and it is half past 
this minute. We’ll never get anywhere at this 
rate.” 


233 


Three Graces 

Just then one of the maids came to the 
door. 

“Is it your carriage you’re asking for, 
miss? ” 

“Yes, Nora. Do you know anything about 
it?” 

“There it is, ma’am,” answered the maid, 
pointing to the antiquated vehicle below them. 
“The man came with it a half-hour since, and 
said I was to tell the young lady what ordered 
it that ’twas the only rig left in the stable this 
afternoon, for there’s a big wedding up in Glen 
Wood, and everything’s engaged. He was 
sorry, ma’am, but thought that he’d better 
send this than nothing.” 

The two Graces looked at each other for a 
moment, and then peals of laughter rang out 
upon the spring air. The dejected horse raised 
his head languidly, looked at them a second in 
mild surprise, wagged one ear, and lapsed again 
into his reveries. 

“Wait a moment ! We’ll go , anyhow.” And 
away Grace sped into the house. In two min- 
234 


Hush! 


utes she reappeared. The immaculate white 
gloves were tucked carefully in the folds of her 
bodice where they could be got at at a mo- 
ment’s notice, and upon her hands were a pair 
of stout driving-gloves — a funny enough con- 
trast to her visiting gown. She untied the horse, 
tossed the strap into the cart, scrambled in, and 
motioned Grace to follow, both bubbling over 
with mirth. 

“Oh, it’s fine as ye plaze ye look,” called 
Nora from the piazza, laughing a genuine Erin 
laugh. 

“You’d better believe we do , Nora. We are 
going out to cut a dash this time, certain as the 
world,” was called merrily back as the funny 
rig and its occupants went slowly down the 
driveway. 

“Oh, move! do! ” cried Grace. “Cold mo- 
lasses is rapid in comparison to you! ” and down 
came the whip. 

Now “Billy Scrub’s ” looks belied him. 
Billy was no colt, nor was he a Methuselah 
among horses. He was just old enough to have 
235 


Three Graces 


learned wisdom, and was positively saturated 
with it. He had been in a livery-stable as long 
as he could remember, and had learned that it 
is the gay and giddy horse which is invariably 
given to the gay and giddy driver. The sedate 
old stager who measures his steps by inches is 
called “the lady’s horse,” and given to the timid 
female who sits fearfully upon the edge of her 
seat, and drives with both arms outstretched to 
their utmost capacity, her reins between her 
first fingers and her thumbs, and squeaks at her 
horse through her pursed-up lips, while she 
gently slaps his back with both reins or jerks 
at the bit in the hope that a pull backward may 
result in a reflex motion, and that in order to re- 
establish his equilibrium her steed will pitch 
forward. 

Such a beast was Billy Scrub. But Billy 
was wise in his generation, and when he felt 
those small hands upon his reins and the hint 
which that whip gave he argued, “That ‘lady’ 
has handled horses before, and it behooves me 
to hustle.” And away went Billy like a four- 
236 


Hush! 


year-old, the cart bumping along behind him as 
hilariously as possible. 

“We simply can't drive up to Mrs. Poole’s 
house in this thing,” said Grace, when they had 
turned into the beautiful, park-like grounds of 
a lady who had given many delightful enter- 
tainments to the Laurel Hill girls that winter. 
“We’ll drive down this quiet road, tie our steed, 
get into our calling gloves, and walk up to the 
house.” 

Billy was tied, they carried out their plan 
successfully, and were just taking their depar- 
ture after a most delightful call, when their 
hostess bethought her that her guests had come 
a long way to call upon her. Her own elegant 
carriage was even then waiting at her door, and 
she asked them to allow her to drive them home. 
No one hut Grace Langford could ever have got 
out of the scrape so skilfully. “They were 
great pedestrians. They loved to walk upon 
such an ideal day, and had counted upon a stroll 
through Mrs. Poole’s beautiful grounds, which 
so reminded her of the South,” etc. 

237 


Three Graces 


With many protests their hostess saw them 
depart. Twenty minutes later, as ill-luck would 
have it, she came upon a scene which she never 
forgot as long as she lived. 

For some reason best known to himself, her 
coachman had elected to drive from her home 
by the shady by-road which led through the 
grounds, and straight to the nook which con- 
cealed Billy Scrub. The man nearly drew his 
prancing horses upon their haunches as he 
turned a sharp corner and came upon two ele- 
gantly attired young ladies who, with their flow- 
ing skirts well tucked up and their gloves re- 
moved, were tugging with might and main to 
persuade a forlorn horse which was lying at full 
length across the road to get upon his feet. 
Billy had elected to take a siesta . 


238 


CHAPTER XX 


UNCLE SAM SCATTERS BLESSINCS 

“One for me, Miss Emerson? ” 

“Any for me? ” 

“Oh, surely you have at least three for me, 
haven’t you, Miss Emerson? ” were the words 
which rattled about Miss Emerson’s ears one 
beautiful afternoon early in June as she stood 
upon the broad piazza removing the letters from 
the mail-bag which the porter had just handed 
to her. 

“Loads of them. Quantities. Enough for 
all. Here, Molly, two for you. Three for Grace 
Langford. Dear me, what a business-like mis- 
sive it is, Grace! Your correspondence must 
be growing. One for Grace Percy. One from 
over the sea for Grace Houghton.” And she 
handed it to the pale girl who was leaning against 
the piazza pillar. Then the doling out contin- 
239 


Three Graces 


ued until the piazza rustled as though Zephyrus 
had breathed upon it, for all the girls eagerly 
tore open their envelopes and began to read 
their letters, Miss Emerson joining in as soon 
as she had handed the last letter to the waiting 
girls. 

All were eager, for in one week more the 
school would close for the summer vacation, and 
all were filled with happy anticipations of the 
homeward journey after nine long months of 
absence. To all but one the outlook was a 
happy one, but to Grace Houghton there seemed 
nothing to hope for. No home awaited her 
coming; no one would rejoice at it. 

Fate, however, had been at work for this 
girl, and, unknown to her, was shaping her 
future. The girls were all absorbed in their 
letter reading, the silence broken only by 
an occasional low exclamation from some 
reader, when a jubilant screech arose from 
Grace Langford, and without a word of warn- 
ing, she rushed over to where Miss Emerson 
stood, clasped her arms about that small woman, 
240 


Uncle Sam’s Blessings 

and waltzed her down the long piazza, willy- 
nilly, shouting and crying in a perfect abandon 
of joy: 

“He’s done it! He’s done it! They’ll get 
it back certain, sure ! Grace can go to college ! 
He’s found out all their old tricks, and they 
will have to pay every penny! And, O Miss 
Emerson, if I had him here this minute I’d hug 
him just as hard as I’m hugging you ; it’s all so 
perfectly splendid ! ” And plump into the piazza 
railing the wild dancers bumped, where Grace 
was forced to stop both dance and words for 
want of breath, and poor Miss Emerson col- 
lapsed into a little heap upon a porch settee. 

“I beg your pardon, Miss Emerson, I surely 
do,” cried Grace, dropping down beside her, 
“but I certainly couldn’t help it, and I knew 
you’d be as glad as I am.” And she clasped 
both arms about Miss Emerson and snuggled 
her rosy face down in that good woman’s neck, 
abashed at her own outburst. 

Miss Emerson broke into a merry laugh as 
she playfully tweaked one pink ear, and said: 
241 


Three Graces 


“Now that our fandango is ended, suppose 
you save the rest of your breath to tell us what 
prompted it.” 

“I will. So, listen.” And up bobbed Grace 
to give a triumphant wave to the big type- 
written missive she held in her hand. The 
other girls had followed the dancers down the 
piazza, their faces a study at Grace’s prank, and 
were now gathering eagerly around. Grace 
Percy had stopped to slip her arm about Grace 
Houghton, and had come more slowly than the 
others, but now stood just outside the group. 

“Now, listen. But where’s Miss Percy? She 
ought to be here too.” 

“She is up in her room, Grace. I told her 
I would take her mail up to her,” answered 
Grace Percy. 

“Well, it’s good enough news to keep. Now 
listen hard every one of you, and rejoice ac- 
cordingly. Do you all remember something 
which happened at Mother Sinclair’s last 
Thanksgiving? How Mr. Morford came there 
and began talking about a mining company? 

242 


Uncle Sam’s Blessings 

Well, lie and the firm which employs him have 
had a big case, or whatever yon call it, against 
that company, for it was just a swindle, and 
some of the men connected with it were getting 
rich as fast as ever they could by making others 
poor. When Mr. Morford was talking about it 
I remembered something that blessed child ” — 
with a nod of her pretty head toward Grace 
Percy, who now stood with a look of surprise 
upon her face — “had said, and I had a great 
powwow with Mr. Morford. He wrote down 
all I told him, and said that he would let me 
know what came of it, and he has written to me 
several times; hut we kept it all a secret from 
Grace. Then he went to see Mr. Percy, that 
much Grace already knows. And after that he 
went to work in dead earnest; and let me tell 
you, girls, that man is no fool . He may be com- 
ical, but the way he has got to the bottom of this 
matter has meant just downright business, and 
this letter — oh, how can I talk fast enough ! ” — 
and she began to read. 

Enough to say that it told of Daniel Mor- 
243 


Three Graces 


ford’s success after months of earnest en- 
deavor. Of how those implicated had striven to 
thwart him and get the better of him at every 
turn, and at last, when they found that such 
methods were useless, to compromise. But Dan- 
iel Morford did not know the meaning of that 
word, and held them to the letter. And now a 
settlement had been made and Mr. Percy had re- 
covered his own. Not an enormous fortune, to 
be sure, hut plenty to make them all comfortable, 
and leave enough over for a few luxuries. 

As Grace finished reading she sprang to her 
feet, and running over to Grace Percy, cried: 

“I want to he the first to congratulate you! 
You’ve been just the dearest chum any girl ever 
had.” And clasping her arms about Grace’s 
neck, this warm-hearted girl kissed her upon 
each cheek, tears of sympathy swimming in her 
own big brown eyes. 

Grace Percy held her close. “How am I 
ever to make you understand how grateful I am, 
Grace! Do you suppose there ever will be any 
way ! ” she asked, with a catch in her voice. 

244 


Uncle Sam’s Blessings 

“And tliink what it means for Adalaide and all 
the others, dear old daddykins and mamma! 
Now I understand this letter; I did not before. 
May I read it aloud, Miss Emerson 1 ” 

“Certainly, dear; we are all so interested, 
and so rejoiced for you. Come and sit here be- 
side me.” And Miss Emerson drew her skirts 
aside. 

“Thank you, but if you don’t mind I’ll sit 
here and have my Graces close to me,” was the 
reply, for, even though longing for Miss Emer- 
son’s kindly sympathy, this strong, self-reliant 
girl felt that one other might need her when 
the letter was read. Let us give it in its own 
words : 

“ ‘ My Little Daughter : 

“ 4 Still “little daughter,” even though seven- 
teen summers have slipped away since a pair of 
gray eyes first looked into mine with their won- 
derful promise of love — a promise fulfilled be- 
yond all possible computation. In less than a 
week, dear, we will be with you to rejoice in our 
245 


Three Graces 


mutual happiness and share in each others 
welfare, for much has transpired within the last 
month, and while I hint at it in this letter, I 
wish to reserve the pleasure of telling you the 
facts that I may see your eyes light up with 
the happiness the knowledge will bring you. I 
am also writing to Adalaide. 

“ ‘ Papa and I will be with you for commence- 
ment, for this happy ending to the trials of 
years seems to have at once renewed health and 
ambition, and he is becoming the dear, energetic 
old daddykins you used to know. 

“ ‘ For all this we have to thank Mr. Mor- 
ford, whose untiring efforts have brought about 
our good fortune. Dear lad, how much he has 
done for us, and how deeply grateful we have 
reason to feel toward him! Truly, “he hath a 
heart as sound as a bell, and his tongue is the 
clapper, for what his breast thinks his tongue 
speaks.” He has been with us a great deal re- 
cently, and his devotion to papa and gentleness 
toward Isabel and myself could not fail to win 
our esteem. 


246 


Uncle Sam’s Blessings 

“ 1 Even the nnconthness is being rubbed 
away, for he is really trying to grow more like 
his fellow men ; and yet I often question would 
they not do well to become like him in many 
respects ? 

“ 1 But now a word for the little friend at 
Laurel Hill. My heart has ached for her, and 
I have longed to do something for her future, 
which seems to hold so few bright spots. Here- 
tofore I have been unable to do so, and even 
though papa and I had thought deeply upon 
your suggestion, it seemed impossible to ask 
her — so great did we feel our obligation to be 
to our own daughters — to make her home with 
us. But now this is all changed, dear one, and 
we can say, “Come into our home and share its 
happiness.” 

“ ‘ I leave it all to you, my little girl ; put 
it in any words your heart may dictate. I 
trust wholly to its generous impulses, for well 
I know that it will prove “not what you give , 
but what you share; for the gift without the 
giver is bare.” Let her feel that mother waits 
17 247 


Three Graces 

to welcome her , too, and tliat our home shall be 
hers so long as she chooses thus to call it. 

“ ‘ Lovingly, 

“ 4 Mamma.’ ” 

Grace dropped the letter, held out both arms, 
her eyes brimming, and Grace Houghton, her 
form quivering with excitement, slipped from 
the settee to the piazza floor, clasped both arms 
about Grace Percy’s waist, and buried her head 
in her lap. 

Now, there is no telling what might have 
happened had not a diversion occurred just 
then, for there were no less than twenty girls 
gathered upon that piazza who for nine months 
had been brought into very close relations with 
each other, and who had been intimately asso- 
ciated with the three girls whose fortunes had 
been so curiously interwoven. Some were 
laughing for joy, some sobbing, and some 
pouring forth words of consolation or congratu- 
lation, according to the temperament of the indi- 
vidual, when 


248 


Uncle Sam’s Blessings 

“ With a will ! With a will ! 

Shout for the fame of Laurel Hill, Laurel Hill ! ” 

was shouted almost beneath their feet, and up 
into the air flew a familiar looking light gray 
“alpine.” 

An echoing screech arose from those upon 
the piazza, as they rushed to look over the 
railing. There upon the lawn, about ten 
feet below them, stood Mother Sinclair, Isa- 
bel Percy, and Daniel Morford, all yelling like 
Bedlamites. 

“Couldn’t help it,” cried Mrs. Sinclair. 
“The day is altogether too delicious for deco- 
rous behavior, and I’ve got to break bounds if 
I am forty-two. Brought my guests over to 
see you; no need to introduce them.” 

“Yes, come over to celebrate. Brought 
this little girl along because I knew the others 
would want to see her, and she needed a holiday, 
too. Put her in Mrs. Sinclair’s keeping, for I 
knew she’d be 0. K. there. Needed a holiday 
myself, too, and am going to take a week off 
and see the fun over here. So call on me, girls, 
249 


Three Graces 


for anything you want. Coming to shake hands 
with you, Miss Emerson.” And resting one 
hand upon the bough of a tree which grew close 
to the piazza, he gave a spring, landed in its 
leafy depths, and swung himself upon the 
piazza. 

Mrs. Sinclair and Isabel hurried up the 
steps, the latter to be gathered into her sister’s 
arms. The hubbub had brought Adalaide upon 
the scene. 

Need I tell you more? 

Commencement took place a few days later, 
and when Grace, Isabel, and Adalaide returned 
with their father and mother and Daniel 
Morford, Grace Houghton went with them, 
truly one of them, for Mrs. Percy had taken 
the lonely girl straight into her motherly 
heart. 

Grace Langford bade them good-by at the 
big railway-station, saying: 

“Ma heart would be just cleah broke, honey, 
if I didn’t know that I’d see you all at college 
next fall. It shorcly would. But I think the 
250 


Uncle Sam’s Blessings 

Three Graces will make pretty jolly fresh- 
men.” 

And thus we must leave them, until we can 
renew their acquaintance as full-fledged college 
girls. 


(i) 


THE END 


251 




































































































































































































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BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS 


PUBLISHED IN THE AUTUMN , 1903. 

BY JAMES BARNES. 

The Giant of Three Wars. 

(Heroes of Our Army Series.) Illustrated. i 2 mo. Cloth, $1.00 
net ; postage, io cents additional. 

This life of General Winfield Scott makes the first volume in the new series to 
be known as “ Heroes of Our Army.” It possesses a colored frontispiece and other 
illustrations. 

BY MARION AMES TAGGART. 

At Aunt Anna’s. 

Colored Frontispiece and other Illustrations by William L. 
Jacobs. i2mo. Cloth, $1.00 net ; postage, io cents additional. 

The story of Ted and Dolly, who are twins, while staying one summer in the 
country at Aunt Anna’s. This is a tale for children of ten or twelve years of age, 
being illustrated, and having an illustrative cover. It is a dainty book for dainty 
children, but has the charm that interests the grown person who may read it aloud 
to those for whom it was written. 

BY KATE DICKINSON SWEETSER. 

Micky of the Alley and Other Youngsters. 

With Illustrations by George Alfred Williams. i 2 mo. Cloth, 
$1.00 net ; postage, io cents additional. 

A collection of tales for children of ten to twelve years of age. The subjects 
are widely varied. That one giving its title to the book, together with “James 
Barkerding, Knight,” are of life in the tenement districts of New York. “Teddy 
Baird’s Luck ” tells how a boy finds, when he least expects it, the adventure he 
has been looking for ; “ Marooned ” is the story of a boy who finds that a boy may 
be just as much scared as a girl ; “ Othello, Jr., ” describes how a little negro played 
Othello in a juvenile company of actors ; “A Millinery Opening ” and “ The Boys’ 
Ball ’’are Christmas stories; and “Sal” is the pathetic story of a little girl who 
follows a hand-organ and coughs for pennies. 

The tales make an interesting and wholesome book for the young, and are told 
with grace and literary feeling. The pathos and charm of several are notable. 

BY GABRIELLE E. JACKSON. 

Three Graces. 

Illustrated in Colors by C. M. Relyea. i 2 mo. Cloth, $1.25 net ; 
postage, 12 cents additional. 

A story for girls of boarding-school life, full of incident and wholesome charac- 
terization, with delightfully cozy scenes of indoor enjoyment and an excising de- 
scription of a Hallowe’en escapade. The Three Graces are interesting girls who 
may count upon finding among youthful readers many who will follow their school 
experiences with a sense of making new friends. Mrs. Jackson introduces a strong 
element of attraction in the honest character of the young country lawyer who 
carries with him a breath of loyalty to all that is best. The Three Graces them- 
selves are girls of very different characteristics who influence each other for good. 
The book is illustrated in a spirited manner, and in colors. 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. 


BY RALPH HENRY BARBOUR. 


HIS NEW VOLUME. 

Weatherby’s Inning. 

A Story of College Life and Baseball. Illustrated in 
colors by C. M. Relyea. $1.25 net; postage, 12 cents 
additional. 

In this latest book Mr. Barbour tells a story of college life and sport that 
will appeal to readers, old or young, who enjoy a well-written story contain- 
ing interesting characterization and a plot of sufficient mystery to carry the 
attention from page to page with increasing curiosity. 


MR. BARBOUR’S OTHER BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG. 

Behind the Line. 

A Story of School and Football. Illustrated by C. M. 
Relyea. i2mo. Cloth, $1.20 net ; postage, 12 cents ad- 
ditional. 

“ He writes with a picturesque vigor and a knowledge of his subject.” — 
St. Louis Post-Despatch. 

“ For many lads a story like ‘ Behind the Line ’ is as good as an outing, or 
as beneficial as a real frolic would be on green fields or gravel campus.” — 
Philadelphia Item. 

Captain of the Crew. 

Illustrated by C. M. Relyea. $1.20 net; postage, 12 
cents additional. 

Mr. Barbour has made himself a master of sport in fiction for young 
readers. His new book is one of those fresh, graphic, delightful stories of 
school life that appeal to all healthy boys and girls. He sketches skating 
and ice-boating and track athletics, as well as rowing. 

For the Honor of the School. 

A Story of School Life and Interscholastic Sport. 
Illustrated by C. M. Relyea. $1.50. 

“ It is a wholesome book, one tingling with health and activity, endeavor 
and laudable ambition to excel in more fields than one.” — New York Mail 
and Express. 

The Half-Back. 

Illustrated by B. West Clinedinst. $1.50. 

“ It is in every sense an out-and-out boys’ book, simple and manly in tone, 
hearty and healthy in its sports, and full of that enthusiasm, life, and fondness 
for games which characterizes the wide-awake, active schoolboy.” — Boston 
Herald. 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. 


BY HEZEKIAH BUTTERWORTH. 


Brother Jonathan; or, The Alarm Post in the Cedars. 

A Tale of Early Connecticut. Illustrated. Colored Frontispiece. $1.25 
net ; postage, 12 cents additional. 

A stirring tale of the early days of Connecticut, dominated by the forceful per- 
sonality of Jonathan Trumbull, whose name, through its affectionate use by George 
Washington, has become the familiar nickname of the nation that he helped to make. 


OTHER BOOKS BY MR. BUTTERWORTH. 

In the Days of Audubon. 

A Tale of the “ Protector of Birds.” Illustrated by B. West Clinedinst 
and others. $1.20 net ; postage, 14 cents additional. 

In the Days of Jefferson; or, The Six Golden Horseshoes. 

A Tale of Republican Simplicity. Illustrated by F. T. Merrill. $1.50. 

The Story of Magellan. 

A Tale of the Discovery of the Philippines. Illustrated by F. T. Merrill 
and others. $1.50. 

The Treasure Ship. 

A Story of Sir William Phipps and the Inter-Charter Period in Massa- 
chusetts. Illustrated by B. West Clinedinst and others. $1.50. 

The Pilot of the Mayflower. 

Illustrated by H. Winthrop Peirce and others. $1.50. 

True to his Home. 

A Tale of the Boyhood of Franklin. Illustrated by H. Winthrop Peirce. 
$1.50. 

The Wampum Belt ; or, The Fairest Page of History. 

A Tale of William Penn’s Treaty with the Indians. With 6 full-page 
Illustrations. $1.50. 

The Knight of Liberty. 

A Tale of the Fortunes of Lafayette. With 6 full-page Illustrations. 
$1.50. 

The Patriot Schoolmaster. 

A Tale of the Minutemen and the Sons of Liberty. With 6 full-page 
Illustrations by H. Winthrop Peirce. $1.50. 

In the Boyhood of Lincoln. 

A Story of the Black Hawk War and the Tunker Schoolmaster. With 
12 Illustrations and colored Frontispiece. $1.50. 

The Boys of Greenway Court. 

A Story of the Early Years of Washington. With 10 full-page Illustra- 
tions. $1.50. 

The Log School-House on the Columbia. 

With 13 full-page Illustrations by J. Carter Beard, E. J. Austen, and 
others. $1.50. 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. 


BY WILLIAM O. STODDARD. 


The Spy of Yorktown. 

Illustrated. Colored Frontispiece. $1.25 net; postage, 12 cents 
additional. 

The story deals with the interesting epoch of our Revolutionary history when 
Benedict Arnold, as a reward of his treachery, was in charge of the English forces 
in Virginia. The spy of Yorktown himself is a brave lad who runs the gamut of 
adventure following upon his selection by Governor Thomas Jefferson to report to 
him the numbers and designs of the invading army. 


OTHER BOOKS BY MR. STODDARD. 

With the Black Prince. 

A Story of Adventure in the Fourteenth Century. Illustrated by 
B. West Clinedinst. 

The absorbing interest of this stirring historical romance will appeal to all young 
readers. 

Success Against Odds ; or, How an American Boy made his 
Way. 

Illustrated by B. West Clinedinst. 

In this spirited and interesting story Mr. Stoddard tells the adventures of a 
plucky boy who fought his own battles, and made his way upward from poverty in 
a Long Island seashore town. It is a tale of pluck and self-reliance capitally told. 

The Red Patriot. 

A Story of the American Revolution. Illustrated by B. West 
Clinedinst. 

The Windfall ; or, After the Flood. 

Illustrated by B. West Clinedinst. 

Chris, the Model-Maker. 

A Story of New York. With 6 full-page Illustrations by B. West 
Clinedinst. 

On the Old Frontier. 

With 10 full-page Illustrations. 

The Battle of New York. 

With 11 full page Illustrations and colored Frontispiece. 

Little Smoke. 

A Story of the Sioux Indians. With 12 full-page Illustrations by 
F. S. Dellenbaugh, portraits of Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and other 
chiefs, and 72 head and tail pieces representing the various imple- 
ments and surroundings of Indian life. 

Crowded Out o’ Crofield. 

The Story of a country boy who fought his way to success in the 
great metropolis. With 23 Illustrations by C. T. Hill. 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. 


YOUNG HEROES OF OUR NAVY. 


NEW VOLUME. 

With the Flag in the Channel. 

The Adventures of Captain Gustavus Conyngham. By James 
Barnes. Illustrated. 80 cents net ; postage, io cents additional. 

OTHER VOLUMES IN THE SERIES. 

Illustrated. i2mo. Each, $1.00. 

Reuben James. 

A Hero of the Forecastle. By Cyrus Townsend Brady, Author 
of “ Paul Jones.” Illustrated by George Gibbs and others. 

The Hero of Manila. 

Dewey on the Mississippi and the Pacific. By Rossiter Johnson. 
Illustrated by B. West Clinedinst and others. 

The Hero of Erie ( Commodore Perry). 

By James Barnes, Author of “Midshipman Farragut,” “Commo- 
dore Bainbridge,” etc. With io full-page Illustrations. 

Commodore Bainbridge. 

From the Gunroom to the Quarter-deck. By James Barnes. 
Illustrated by George Gibbs and others. 

Midshipman Farragut. 

By James Barnes. Illustrated by Carlton F. Chapman. 

Decatur and Somers. 

By Molly Elliot Seawell. With 6 full-page Illustrations by 
J. O. Davidson and others. 

Paul Jones. 

By Molly Elliot Seawell. With 8 full-page Illustrations. 

Midshipman Paulding. 

A True Story of the War of 1812. By Molly Elliot Seawell. 
With 6 full-page Illustrations. 

Little Jarvis. 

The Story of the Heroic Midshipman of the Frigate Constellation. 
By Molly Elliot Seawell. With 6 full-page Illustrations. 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. 


A UNIQUE BOOK. 


“ For children , parents , teachers , and all who are interested 
in the psychology of childhood.'" 

The Book of Knight and Barbara. 

By David Starr Jordan. Illustrated. i2mo. 
Cloth, $ 1.50. 

The curious and fascinating tales and pictures of this unique 
book are introduced by Dr. Jordan with the following preface : 
ft The only apology the author can make in this case is that he 
never meant to do it. He had told his own children many 
stories of many kinds, some original, some imitative, some traves- 
ties of the work of real story-tellers. Two students of the de- 
partment of education in the Stanford University — Mrs. Louise 
Maitland, of San Jose, and Miss Harriet Hawley, of Boston — 
asked him to repeat these stories before other children. Miss 
Hawley, as a stenographer, took them down for future reference, 
and while the author was absent on the Bering Sea Commission 
of 1896 she wrote them out in full, thus forming the material 
of this book. Copies of the stories were placed by Mrs. Mait- 
land in the hands of hundreds of children. These drew illus- 
trative pictures, after their fashion ; and from the multitude 
offered, Mrs. Maitland chose those which are here reproduced. 
The scenes in the stories were also subjected to the criticisms 
of the children, and in many cases amended to meet their sug- 
gestions. These pictures made by the children have been found 
to interest deeply other children, a fact which gives them a 
definite value as original documents in the study of the workings 
of the child-mind. At the end of the volume are added a few 
true stories of birds and of beasts, told to a different audience. 
With these are a few drawings by university students, which are 
intended to assist the imagination of child-readers.” 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY’S PUBLICATIONS. 


GOOD BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS. 


T 


HE EXPLOITS OF MYLES STANDI SH. By 

Henry Johnson (Muirhead Robertson), author of “ From 


Scrooby to Plymouth Rock,” etc. Illustrated. i2mo. Cloth f 
$1.50. 


u A vivid picture, keen and penetrating in its interests, and familiarizing young 
people in a popular way with the hardships endured by the early settlers of New Eng- 
land .” — Boston Herald. 

“ All that concerns the settlement at New Plymouth is told with fine skill and vivid- 
ness of description. ... A book that must be read from cover to cover with unfalter- 
ing interest .” — Boston Saturday Evening Gazette. 


C HRISTINE'S CAREER. A Story for Girls. By 

Pauline King. Illustrated. i2mo. Cloth, specially bound, 
$1.50. 

The story is fresh and modem, relieved by incidents and constant humor, and the 
lessons which are suggested are most beneficial. 


T 


'OHN BOYD'S ADVENTURES. 

W. Knox, author of “ The Boy Travelers,” etc. 
page Illustrations. i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 


By Thomas 
With 12 full- 


A LONG THE FLORIDA REEF. By Charles 

F. Holder, joint author of “ Elements of Zoology.” With 
numerous Illustrations. l2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 

NGLISHMAN'S HAVEN. By W. J. Gordon, 

author of “ The Captain-General, ” etc. With 8 full-page Illus- 
trations. i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 

r E ALL. A Story of Outdoor Life and Adventure 
in Arkansas. By Octave Thanet. With 12 full-page Illuso 
trations by E. J. Austen and Others. i2mo. Cloth, $1.50. 


E 


m 



ING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS. By 

Louis Pendleton. The experiences of two boys in the forests 
of Georgia. With 6 Illustrations by E. W. Kemble. i2mo. 
Cloth, $1.50. 


t>. APPLETON AND COMPANY. NEW YORK. 


NEW BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG* 


With the Flag in the Channel ; or, The Adven- 
tures of Capt. Gustavus Conyngham. 

By James Barnes, Author of “ Midshipman Farragut,” “Commo- 
dore Perry,” etc. Illustrated by Charlton T. Chapman. (Young Heroes 
of our Navy series.) i2mo. Cloth, So cents net ; postage, 8 cents 
additional. 

The wonderful story of adventure at sea which Mr. Barnes tells in his new 
volume will be new to almost all readers, but it is founded upon fact. Captain 
Conyngham was the predecessor of Paul Jones. When Dr. Franklin and Silas 
Deane of the Marine Committee of 1777 issued the commissions for vessels which 
were to sail in the capacity of national cruisers, the first commission, dated March 
1, 1777, was given to Captain Conyngham. He crossed to the British Channel, cap- 
tured English ships, entered English ports in disguise, and his brilliant exploits 
filled England with dismay. 

Behind the Line. A Story of School and Football. 

By Ralph Henry Barbour, Author of “The Half-Back,” 
“Captain of the Crew,” etc. Illustrated by C. M. Relyea. i 2 mo. 
Cloth, $1.20 net ; postage, 12 cents additional. 

This is an exciting football story by a writer who has placed himself at the head 
of writers of stories of college sports. “ Behind the Line ” deals with life at the 
preparatory school and in the earlier years at the university. It contains thrilling 
descriptions of football contests, and gives an intimate view of the preparation and 
training for football and other athletics. The story is one of much variety and 
incident, and it sketches the various incidents and amusements and also the work of 
a large preparatory school. 

Miss Lochinvar. A Story for Girls. 

By Marion Ames Taggart. Illustrated by William L. Jacobs. 
l 2 mo. Cloth, $1.20 net; postage, 12 cents additional. 

Miss Taggart knows all the workings of the girlish heart. The experiences of 
the country girl brought up to worship nature and truth, to take things at their 
true worth, and to look always for the best in her .friends and surroundings, 
suddenly called upon to face life in the home of her rich city cousins, and her un- 
conscious influence in overcoming the petty jealousies and meannesses that make 
themselves manifest in an artificial society, form the theme that Miss Taggart has 
used for an intensely sympathetic and interesting story. 

Jacks of all Trades, a Story for Girls and Boys. 

By Katharine N. Birdsall. Illustrated in two colors by Walter 
Russell, with many text cuts. i 2 mo. Cloth, $1.20 net; 12 cents 
additional. 

Here is a storv that shows conclusively that “the child is father of the man.” 
Miss Birdsall has written a book that should be read by every boy and girl who. has 
any ambition or purpose to develop the best that is in them. The author has taken 
nobility of character as the key-note for a most wholesome and inspiriting story, the 
plot of which is of absorbing interest. 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. 


“THE FIRST WOMAN OF FRANCE." 


The Romance of My Childhood and Youth. 

By Madame Edmond Adam (Juliette Lamber). Photo- 
gravure portrait. i2mo. Cloth, gilt top, $1.40 net. 

“ The book is really a romance of French history for a century. 
It begins with the extraordinary career of Mile. Lamber’s grand- 
mother, who had a profound influence upon her early life, and 
whose love story is as fine as any that novelist ever imagined. 
And as to herself, it is such a revelation of development of char- 
acter and conduct as nobody but a Frenchwoman could possibly 
write." — The New York World. 

“ A curious and romantic story of a curious and romantic 
French family, related with sympathetic candor." — Philadelphia 
Public Ledger. 

" Such a clear, precise style that the resulting picture in our 
minds is as distinct as it is full of color and vividness." — The 
New York Outlook. 

“ She has made clear the conflicting emotions that helped to 
form her character and shape her ambitions." — New York Times 
Saturday Review. 

“ Apart from its vivacity and dramatic qualities, the book is 
extraordinarily interesting as showing, through a personal medium, 
the forces and dreams that met together in France in those days 
for the creation of the new socialism." — A r ew York Independent. 

“ Nothing more pathetic, more unlike the ordinary, and more 
picturesque can be found in biography." — Chicago Record-Herald. 

“ A delightful picture of French family life.” — The Booklovers 
Bulletin. 

** This marvelous autobiography. " — Cleveland Leader. 

“ Witty, full of life, and brilliant." — Chicago Inter-Ocean. 

"She has told the story as only a brilliant Frenchwoman can." 
— Baltimore Herald. 

D . APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. 


THE LIBRARY OF USEFUL STORIES. 

Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, 35 cents net per volume j 
postage, 4 cents per volume additional. 


The Story of Alchemy. By M. M. Pattison Muir. 

The Story of Animal Life. By B. Lindsay. 

The Story of the Art of Music. By F. J. Crowest. 

The Story of the Art of Building. By P. L. Waterhouse. 

The Story of King Alfred. By Sir Walter Besant. 

The Story of Books. By Gertrude B. Rawlings. 

The Story of the Alphabet. By Edward Clodd. 

The Story of Eclipses. By G. F. Chambers, F. R. A.S. 

The Story of the Living Machine. By H. W. Conn. 

The Story of the British Race. By John Munro, C. E. 

The Story of Geographical Discovery. By Joseph Jacobs. 
The Story of the Cotton Plant. By F. Wilkinson, F. G. S. 
The Story of the Mind. By Prof. J. Mark Baldwin. 

The Story of Photography. By Alfred T. Story. 

The Story of Life in the Seas. By Sydney J. Hickson. 

The Story of Germ Life. By Prof. H. W. Conn. 

The Story of the Earth’s Atmosphere. By Douglas Archibald. 

The Story of Extinct Civilizations of the East. By Robert 
Anderson, M. A., F. A. S. 

The Story of Electricity. By John Munro, C. E. 

The Story of a Piece of Coal. By E. A. Martin, F. G. S. 

The Story of the Solar System. By G. F. Chambers, F. R. A. S 
The Story of the Earth. By H. G. Seeley, F. R. S. 

The Story of the Plants. By Grant Allen. 

The Story of “Primitive” Man. By Edward Clodd. 

The Story of the Stars. By G. F. Chambers, F. R. A. S. 


others in preparation. 


615 


,.■? t. 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. 















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